Jess Klein (from the album When We Rise

Jess Klein (from the album When We Rise

Jess Klein (from the album When We Rise available on Motherlode Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
With eleven albums and an illustrious career as an outspoken yet introspective singer/songwriter, Jess Klein has never been afraid to speak truths from her own personal perspective. With this latest effort, she rails against the invectives and injustice so many minority groups have been confronted with during these contentious times. Galvanized by the politics and pontifications that have torn at the very seams of America’s traditional tapestry, the new album, When We Rise, fuses observation and expression in ways that leave no doubt as to her defiance and determination.
 
Jess Klein previously made her mark as independent Americana artist, one who has tempered her approach with activism and intrigue, and yet she’s never fully expressed it as adamantly as she does here. As its title suggests, When We Rise is a fiercely focused effort that leaves no doubt as to her desire and dedication to passion and purpose. The album’s first single, “Never Gonna Break Me”, serves as its mission statement of sorts, an absolute and assertive song about resolve in the face of adversity and abuse. It centers around a 14-year-old girl that becomes involved with a boy who appeared eager to take advantage of her innocence, only to face ridicule from her classmates when the boy blithely betrays her.
 
Klein parlays those feelings into a searing series of emotive offerings, with songs such as the title track, “Athena“, “Annie’s Place”, and “Safe Harbor” vividly affirming her demonstrative designs. There’s not a single selection here that doesn’t take an authoritative stand, giving no homage to remorse or regret. Yet Klein seeks her own solace as well, as reflected in the emotional embrace of “In the Arms of a Song”, a track that describes her desire to pursue her path forward, even when the odds seem all but impossible to endure.
 
‘Everybody tells me to let it go, I don’t think they understand’ she insists prior to the pleading refrain of “Hold Me”. The shared circumstance doesn’t last long; “Overcome,” the track that follows, unfolds as an absolute anthem, leaving no doubt as to her priorities and persistence.
 
Taken in tandem, When We Rise comes across as an anthemic call to arms, one she dedicates to ‘every woman trying, working, fighting, dreaming to make this world a more just and loving place’. In the face of the anguish and adversity engulfing the world today, that seems like a tall order. Nevertheless, credit Jess Klein with the vision needed to see that potential and possibility. ‘I’m ready to steal away’ she coos on the ballad of the same name. In so doing, she offers inspiration to us all. (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
Listen and buy the music of Jess Klein from AMAZON
 
For more info, check out the Jess Klein website