Janiva Magness
By Mike O’Cull
Seven-time Blues Music Award winning vocalist and Grammy nominee Janiva Magness returns to the top of the roots music scene with a hard-hitting, autobiographical new album Hard to Kill.
The set drops June 24th, 2022 on Magness’ own Fathead Records imprint and is her first blast of new material in three years. It will be simultaneously released with the Fathead audiobook edition of Weeds Like Us, Janiva’s blunt, profoundly-affecting 2019 memoir. Dave Darling, her longtime friend and guitar player, produced the record and did an outstanding job of capturing not only the sounds but also the meanings of these new songs.
Magness is clearly deep in her own zone throughout Hard to Kill and delivers performances that are bold and brutally honest. “I feel like it’s a retrospective not just of my musical life, but of my life,” she says. “At this point, with what I’ve been through in my life, top to bottom, you know what, the gloves are off, and the rules are, there really aren’t any rules.”
Janiva has lived the blues as much as anyone you’d care to name, experiencing physical and sexual abuse, the suicides of both her parents, years in foster care, drug addiction, alcoholism, teenage pregnancy, and motherhood. Both her new album and her book were born from the memories of those times and she bleeds her story for all to hear because she’s an artist and that’s what artists do: they dispense truth. Hard to Kill is Janiva’s 16th studio effort and uses a foundation of blues, funk, and soul sounds to send that truth out into the world and into the hearts of her many fans.
Magness opens the new record with the moody and fearsome “Strong As Steel.” The song is a survival story involving the drinking, drugging, and car-crashing life. Its pulsating, minor key groove behind Magness’ unflinching vocal take fits this tale of youthful excess and danger perfectly and the musicians backing her seem to intuitively ebb and flow with her energy. Drummer Matt Tecu and bassist Gary Davenport are a big part of that flow and shine brightly here. Magness co-wrote the track with Lauren Bliss and Andrew Lowden and their three minds together make a formidable creative unit.
John Hiatt’s “The Last Time” gets a heavy funk treatment that supports its lyrics about betrayal and distrust. Janiva sings it with the weary bitterness of someone who has learned a hard lesson and puts down real emotion without over-singing or resorting to dramatics. The tone of her voice says everything that needs to be said. Guitarists Zach Zunis and Dave Darling haul the mail all day long on this one and give the cut its snarl.
A snappy, tremolo-laden guitar riff opens the soul-rocking “Don’t You Forget About Me.” It’s a happy-sounding breakup song that’s super danceable and displays Janiva’s strong belt and vintage R&B style. One of her greatest gifts is the ability to shift her vibe and completely inhabit the song of the moment as if it’s the only kind she sings, which Magness does wonderfully on this one. It’s the album’s first single for a reason. Magness wrote the tune with Annie Mack, another outstanding creative pairing.
There’s no shortage of quality songwriting on Hard to Kill and Magness fans old and new are bound to pick out their favorites. The Prince-ish “Lover Girl” is a must-hear for lovers of Minneapolis funk and simmering dance beats. “Standing On The Moon (where’s my spaceship?)” channels a funky 70s sound with its smooth, spacious pocket and crisp backup vocals, which makes it a deep cut worth digging out.
The true emotional knockout punch of the record, however, is the closing song “Oh Pearl.” It’s a stark, plain-spoken open letter to the daughter Magness gave up for adoption when she was just 17 years old. The honesty and vulnerability of the lyrics will linger with you, especially when she sings “my mother failed me, too.” Magness gives the track a heart-wrenching, quiet performance and lets the mood it creates carry the day. Once you hear it, you’ll never forget it.
Hard to Kill is a high-water mark for Janiva Magness, reaffirming her status as one of the top vocalists in the blues business and demonstrating her commitment to continually growing as an artist. Get these songs into your headphones today.
Watch “Strong As Steel”
Janiva Magness website
love it when seasoned pros get together…
Love it when she does fast guitar based rocking tunes ! You go girl ! Tell it like it is Janice !!!
Love this album! It’s a great display of Janiva’s talents with the ability to write and perform blues, rock, funk, and moody music! To be at one of her performances doing this songs is the ultimate experience!