Jen Lane

Self-titled CD

self-released

Genre: singer / songwriter

Toronto, ON

Jun 22, 2009

As the press materials foretold, Sheryl Crow is a very astute point of comparison for Jen Lane's slick, singer/songwriter pop. Indeed, the instrumental tracks to several of these songs might have come straight off of one of Crow's albums. And Lane's voice, though somewhat duller than Crow's, retains that same hearty, melodic quality - slyly balancing verve and sweetness. The problem here is that there's little separating Jen from the herd of slickly produced singer/songwriters out there. She's likable, and the best of these songs slip their way through many a solid pop hook. “Hold on Strong” and “Call on Me” have obtained my girlfriend's seal of approval. Although this self-titled debut may not be particularly notable, it's undeniably competent, and that's certainly worth something in itself.

70%

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 11 tracks, distributed by the artist, released 2006]