Darren Jessee made four studio albums as drummer for
Ben Folds Five and had five more LPs under his belt as leader of the much more reflective
Hotel Lights before deciding to make his first solo album. An outlet for his quietly observant songwriting style,
Hotel Lights had always seemed to fill that role, but with
The Jane Room 217, it becomes apparent that his solo work is even more spare and intimate. The album was recorded on a six-track in
Jessee's New York City apartment, with the songwriter covering all instruments except strings. (They were added later by
Trey Pollard.) While the material follows closely in the footsteps of
Hotel Lights, its bare, unprocessed sound and lack of drums, together with brittle vocal performances, play like live demos that take the intimacy to another level.
Jessee has said that he was inspired by favorite recordings by
Leonard Cohen,
Willie Nelson, and
Tom Waits. Songs like "Leaving, Almost Ready" and "Go on Baby Break Down" are snapshots of private moments of transition, specifically the anticipation of someone leaving and the point where a downward spiral could turn a corner toward recovery. The performances are equally as exposed. On "Leaving, Almost Ready," for instance,
Jessee's half-whispered delivery is accompanied by strummed acoustic guitar and judiciously placed keyboards and single-note piano lines. He's eventually joined by strings in the final verse, when the storyteller reveals what he's preparing for. Elsewhere, the standout track "Letting You Go" has one of the album's more haunting melodies, also punctuated by strings that never overtake
Jessee's voice. With its low volume and these gentle textures in play, the album is understated and touching throughout, though, for passing moments, lyrics can be devastating or, alternately, affectionate, as when they catch glimpses of beauty or recall fond moments. Still,
The Jane Room 217 does have the feeling -- perhaps suggested by the title -- of someone jotting down thoughts on a notepad, alone at a desk by a rain-streaked window. ~ Marcy Donelson