Janel Leppin: Slowly Melting

Haunting, thrilling, gorgeous, these are all words that one could use to describe Slowly Melting, an album of both grace and power by Janel Leppin. Not power in the sense that the album will blow your hair back, but power in the sense that it can shape and change the way you listen, evoking a complex set of emotions spread across Leppin's nine compositions for cello on the album. Slowly Melting is a true solo album, and although Leppin uses guitar, bass, piano, and synthesizer to fill out her arrangements, the star is her fuzz-saturated cello.  A classically trained cellist, Leppin is as comfortable playing chamber music as she is pushing the boundaries of what she can do with her instrument in the avant-garde. On Slowly Melting, these worlds blend, and the lines of distinction between them melt away, creating a unique sonic landscape.

Leppin achieves this blend by manipulating the natural sound of her cello by masterfully, adding layers of delay and fuzz. These textures are such a key part of the album's identity that many of the tracks are named after certain pedals. "Dirge" is named after a specific pedal that manipulates the sound, creates loops, adds feedback, and can turn a touch of delay into full-blown fuzz distortion. Because Leppin controls these pedals as she plays, they are an extension of her playing, not just an effect. In fact, the title track is named after a specific pedal built by Dirge Electronics, which adds a texture to the recording that one would not ordinarily hear in the jazz world. These pedals help create the sonic world these compositions inhabit, but they do not strictly define them.

Ultimately, Slowly Melting is an album that rewards the listener's patience with each successive spin. While one is initially drawn in by the album's unique, distorted sound, over time, the focus begins to shift. Underneath the fuzz and effects is the true heart of the album, and that is Leppin's beautiful playing and the strength of her compositions. With each listen, the sound of her cello begins to emerge from the blanket of fuzz, slowly melting it away, until you are left with just the songs. It is this unique balance between the avant-garde and the traditional that makes this album a compelling and rewarding experience.