Tickle Your Taint Eclectic Music Reviews: Juliana Hatfield, Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John (American Laundromat, 2018)

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Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Juliana Hatfield, Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John (American Laundromat, 2018)

By Null

This album sounds exactly like what you think it would sound like, and in this case, that is not a bad thing. I have never been a big fan of Juliana Hatfield. In the same breath, she has made some good albums that I have added to my record collection and enjoy from time to time. Still, I find that most of her output doesn’t really stick to my ribs. In this way, she is a lot like Olivia Newton-John; they both have a heaping pile of kick-ass tracks buried in unremarkable albums. When you think about it, Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John could be a masterpiece, a match made in heaven. Well, it isn’t, but I love it anyway.

I grew up listening to Olivia Newton-John when I was a young guy in the late 1970’s and early 80’s. To this day, one can slap on any number of her greatest hits albums and I am in ecstasy. I don’t care what anyone says, I just love her hits and they are buried deep in my psyche. Her sweet voice, sugar-coated melodies, and lush instrumentation often sooth a troubled mind. Enter Juliana Hatfield with her candied, indie-guitar pop tracks and sometimes edgy vocal delivery. The sweet and the salty, it’s a good combination.

Juliana doesn’t add anything new to these tracks. As a matter of fact, she hardy takes any liberties at all. It is interesting to hear how she takes some of the lush strings from some of Olivia’s tracks and reproduces the same feel with guitars and keyboards that she plays herself, with her friends Pete and Ed on bass and drums. It makes the tracks a little more DIY. It rocks a bit more than Olivia.

I’m just happy to have found someone that loves these songs as much as I do. I love this album for exactly what it is–a fan of Olivia’s music holed up in a room somewhere banging it out for the pure joy of the music itself. Plat it loud. And if you don’t know these songs then pick up any number of Olivia Newton-John’s greatest hits albums and let the afternoon delight begin.