Search - Joules Graves :: Plunge

Joules Still Shines

houseathena@earthlink.net | Pacific Northwest USA | 03/01/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I met Joules about nine years ago as part of a political action in the Northwest. Joules could paint, draw, sing, drum and shine with the best of everyone and she does it here still on her new album, PLUNGE.PLUNGE incorporates some new elements, including electric guitar, organ and hip-hop vocals that serve her a little less well than the log cabin Pagan Tabernackle Choir styling of her last effort, Waterfall Child, which is less widely available. While the packaging and production values have gone up with PLUNGE, several songs (including Land of Fake Fires) still radiate with the hotsprings fireside ambience of her previous albums. Her voice, as ever, enchants uncannily.For Joules' fans, this is a must-have, but for new listeners, I recommend Waterfall Child or her tape Wildcrafted (which you can get by writing to her at Lopez Island, WA).Joules can be found performing at Breitenbush Hot Springs and the Seattle Folklife Festival, and has published some of her lyrics in WE'moon, a small press wimmin's day book. NAMASTE."

A big woman's voice and a big woman's mind

houseathena@earthlink.net | 07/27/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Joules sings like no one else, and the strength of her voice grows out of the strength, urgency, and seriousness of her convictions. Her writing is witty, angry, celebratory, thoughtful. A gift."

Polished but still fresh

bethtexas | United States | 01/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Joules Graves has such a powerful, enviable voice, she seems to be a born folk singer. But on this album, she shows that she can sing a variety of song-types, and that her strong, resonating vocals are helpful on each and every one of them.This album still qualifies as "folk" because it's so lyric-focused. The words are clear and worth listening to. And it hasn't been "produced to death" or given the sound of a pop album. It's really a folk album in terms of focus. YET ... each song is done in a completely different style. One song is "rapped", another song is simply spoken, another is melodic and sweet as soft rock, and of course, many are good, old-school folk with voice and guitar.Some of the highlights include "Out on a Limb" which inspires us to get the most out of every day of our lives. "Land of Fake Fires" is a gorgeous anti-urbanization ballad. And "Wamba" is a humorous and poignant piece in favor of women who choose to be a little heavier. The album is well-produced enough to have a crisp, polished sound. The variety of songs is exciting and makes it the kind of album that you don't play in the background, but actually sit there and LISTEN to. And of course her voice ... boy, what some of us wouldn't do to have a voice that strong and gorgeous."