Jenn Grinels - Go Mine
Back in 2012 was when I started this journey of writing music reviews with the website, Indie Music Reviewer. Before I received my first assignment I was excited, but also nervous to hear what kind of artist I was about to review. Would I like the music? Would it come easy to me to write about this album from someone I had never heard of? Well, luckily, I hit the jackpot. Not only did I like the music, but I fell in love with the album and was able to relate to almost every track. I also happened to become good friends with the artist over time. The first review I ever wrote was for Jenn Grinels. Fast forward eight years from that last album, brokenHEARTbreaker, attending a handful of live shows locally around Philadelphia, a weekend music festival as hotel roommates, and two house concerts in my home and here I am reviewing Jenn’s latest album, Go Mine, for the website I finally got up and running in 2020. While it did take Grinels eight years to release a new album, she took that time to make sure it was complete and the best work she could produce, and she did just that.
The title track, “Go Mine,” starts off with the acoustic guitar and a trumpet that could very well be the ghost of Louis Armstrong as Grinels enters with a soft, delicate voice in the first minute. After taking the listener through the first verse and chorus, the music hits hard at the end of the first chorus and her vocals become more powerful as she’s done playing nice and gives it to you straight. With lyrics like “you can go yours and I’ll go mine,” Grinels is letting you know that she’s going to do what she wants and doesn’t care what others think. She doesn’t mind taking the unknown, unpopular path. “Go Mine” shows off a sassy, Alanis Morissette vibe, but with much more soul and smoother vocals. Like, Morissette, you can hear every emotion of the song in each lyric. A little more than halfway through the track, Grinels gives the musicians their time to shine with a powerful, strong instrumental.
On “Void,” Grinels is stripped down to her voice and an acoustic guitar with the strings and gentle drum brushes joining in later. There’s a sadness and vulnerability throughout the song which is beautifully conveyed through Grinels’ vocals and her choice of musical arrangement. She tackles the subject of feeling a void and pain from being hurt and embracing those emotions while they run their course of healing.
Grinels has described that this album had a lot of focus on the theme of love, as she had recently exchanged her own wedding vows with her longtime love. “Evidence” is the first of many tracks on Go Mine that fit into this love category. Right away, the listener will be hooked with the presence of the horns section and the infectious upbeat, happy in love feeling throughout the song. What makes “Evidence” a highlight on this album is Grinels pairing up with fellow singer/songwriter, Marc Broussard. After listening to this song, it’s clear as day that these two were meant to blend their soulful, mighty voices together in harmony (and boy, are those harmonies perfect). They bring that loving feeling as they sing about finding that one person you’re meant to be with and who has made everything you went through well worth the wait.
Fans of Jenn Grinels will immediately recognize “Right From The Start.” It was featured on Grinels’ last album, brokenHEARTbreaker, and she performs it regularly at her live shows along with telling the story behind the song. She wrote the song as a wedding gift for one of her friends. Well, don’t be fooled as you start to listen to this Jenn Grinels classic because she catches you off guard as she proves she’s no one trick pony. Grinels shows the growth in her music by revamping “Right From The Start” to a jazzier, updated version of the song. It’s a breath of fresh air as she reinvents the classic to make the listener fall in love all over again with the track.
“The Feeling” is another love song that’s about finding the one who makes it feel right. It’s easy, there’s no confusion, feelings are mutual, and there is no doubt in your mind that this is the love of your life. Like many of her songs, Grinels begins with the simplistic approach of arrangement with her vocals, a guitar, and the rest of her musical crew joining in later. Her voice starts gentle and delicate like you would treat a new love. Then her voice becomes more powerful and stronger as that love grows and she gains confidence expressing this incredible “feeling.”
Grinels shows off her playful, sexy side as she takes on a vixen like character with the Nina Simone cover, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” While it’s hard to come close to Simone’s delivery of this classic, Grinels definitely does it justice and is able to embody the essence of Ms. Simone with her own interpretation of the song.
When listening to “Anytime Soon,” you can’t help but hear a resemblance to the legend, Stevie Nicks, in this bass heavy track with a mystical vibe. You can picture Grinels standing in the middle of a desert with her hair and a dress flowing in the wind as her arms move along to the music.
“Hands Down” is the last of the love songs on Go Mine with Grinels singing about all of the reasons why her significant other is her “favorite everything.” The piano and strings bring an extra joyous element to help convey that love to life.
Grinels ends the album with “Resilience” (previously reviewed on Music Meds By Mel), a perfect song to go along with the year 2020. Grinels does her best to act as a therapist to whoever is listening as many can relate to the struggles this year brought us. As the acting therapist, she reassures you that “resilience is a beautiful thing.”
Go Mine is clear evidence (pun intended) that Jenn Grinels made it well worth the wait to present the world with new music. It’s apparent when listening that she took the time to create an album that not only she was proud of, but that her fans were proud of, too. Her choice of instrumentation, lyrics, and vocals brought her stunning visions and messages to life in a remarkable way.
