The sophomore album from
Carlyn Bezic (aka
Jane Inc), 2022's
Faster Than I Can Take finds the Toronto native further expanding her arty, '80s-style funk and synth pop. Where 2021's Number One had an elastic, disco-influenced sound,
Faster Than I Can Take is more opaque, rife with thumping electro beats and chilly keyboards. Remaining consistent is
Bezic's stylish, yearning vocal, which falls somewhere between
Kate Bush and
Debbie Harry. There's something both earnest and idiosyncratic about
Jane Inc's work on
Faster Than I Can Take, a kind of lost-in-time feeling akin to left-of-center productions by artists like
Shuggie Otis and cult '80s Canadian crooner Lewis. Cuts like the opening "Contortionists," "2120," and "Dance with You" are hooky dance club anthems that straddle the line between early-'80s
Prince and the work of new wave bands like
Animotion. There's also a low-key industrial influence a la
Nine Inch Nails coursing through tracks like "Human Being" and the shimmering, slow-burn atmosphere of "Every Rip." While synthy dance music is at the core of
Bezic's sound, she doesn't shy away from other genres, including folk, Brazilian, and singer/songwriter styles. There's also a nice blend of organic and electronic instruments, as on "Picture of the Future," where she contrasts her robotic, video game beat with a breezy, bossa nova-sounding acoustic riff. Similarly, on "Pummeled Into Sand," she accents her richly harmonized vocals with a fuzzy, laser-toned electric guitar solo, a combination that brings to mind '70s
Queen. With
Faster Than I Can Take,
Jane Inc continues to bring her auteurist electro dreams to life. ~ Matt Collar