image courtesy of Jen Kearney

Album Review of Jen Kearney: Gas Station Poet

Jen Kearney‘s newest album, Gas Station Poet, is timeless. It’s so familiar yet so very original. It’s album-oriented classic groove rock with elements of funk, soul, blues, jazz, and ’70s rock. It’s the sort of record to listen to with your headphones on, stretched out in your bean bag chair (or comfy recliner), just soaking it all in. A two-time New England Music Awards nominee for Soul/R&B Act of the Year, Kearney’s vocals are smooth and rich; stylistically, one artist that comes to mind as a comparison is Prince, in tone and phrasing in particular, especially during some of Kearney’s vocal riffs. Other comps that make it into the conversation are Nina Simone and maybe Tracy Chapman, though neither is a perfect match; still, they’d sit well side-by-side on compilation discs or mix tapes.

Blog contributor Eric Harabadian reviewed the single “Long Division,” Gas Station Poet‘s third track, last year; and yes, it’s one of my favorite stops along the album’s 7-song, 34 minute journey. I’m going to primarily focus on the music and vocals in this review, but I’d implore you to listen closely to the lyrics, too. Says Kearney, “This album is my response to the rising tide of greed that’s eroding empathy. We’re watching humanity bargain with its own soul, and I wanted to put that into words and music.” At risk of contributing to the overhype that permeates all things media today, hell yeah, she did!

The record opens with kind of a jazz club feel, with playful light music and horns leading up to Jen Kearney’s coarsely soulful vocals on “The Auctioneer.” The horns and the groove this song settles into make it infectious.

“The Hang of Sisyphus and Narci,” next – and I just have to point out that this album’s first two songs both reference Sisyphus, so top that! – is a laid-back, piano-driven, soulful groove that keeps pushing forward, steadily up that hill, finally showcasing some cool wails from Kearney that drive the song’s point home in the song’s latter portion.

“Long Division” follows, with those horns again that are used so well on this record, supporting Kearney’s pleading voice, stressing the lyrics about algorithm-driven divisions while the song meanders pleasantly through some funky, bluesy instrumentation.

“11 Minutes” is the only song on the record to clock less than 4 minutes in length, but of course, the song’s title is not really about its length. Rather, as the opening lyrics “11 minutes in space” clarify, it’s a reference to Katy Perry’s 2025 space “adventure,” and yeah, it’s a critical reference to performative activism in place of actual, meaningful contributions. The song itself builds on a musical base of pianowork, designed almost specifically to enhance Kearney’s vocal delivery, driving home the song’s grievances in a very jazz-clubby, riffing style. Of course, the way the music highlights the lyrics on “11 Minutes” also brings to mind a Broadway performance. It’s a really cool, stylish performance and delivery.

“Burn Me Down” brings back the horns and the funk, and while it has some really smooth grooves – vocally and musically – it also sports the most musical dissonance on the record, as its horn pop-ins coincide with some aggressive percussion and bass. It’s really cool, especially as a slight change of pace from the rest of the disc.

“Burn Me Down” ideally sets up the next song, “Just in the Neighborhood,” whose horns, organ, and underlying rhythm come across all the more playful in contrast with the preceding number. Of course, don’t let the mood and the tempo of the song fool you; it’s a soulful, bluesy groove highlighting the downsides of gentrification. It’s as I wrote earlier, listen to the lyrics! But oh, man, what a cool, smooth delivery; even with your brain turned off, it makes for a great listen!

Kearney closes the record with the title track, “Gas Station Poet.” It’s a drawn-out, soulful, bluesy number, lightly instrumented and primarily featuring Jen’s voice as its guiding light. It’s one of those close-your-eyes-and-listen songs, in which you’ll maybe sway a little and enjoy as the five minutes simultaneously last forever and end too soon, closing with the repeat fadeout lyrics of “I guess I still believe in love.” It’ll leave you sighing contentedly when it’s over, ending an album listen that’s time well spent, at least if you’re a music fan. (And if you’re not a music fan, what are you even doing here?!)

In the end, though you’ll generally find me listening to this record beginning to end because it’s such an outstanding collection, if I were to choose just two or three songs for a quick listen… well, they’d change based on my mood, of course, but probably most often they’d be the big single “Long Division,” the album-opener “The Auctioneer,” and the playful “Just in the Neighborhood.” That’s because I always like a little tempo. There are a couple slow grooves that’d top the list if I was in that mood. But hey, choose your own faves. A listen to Jen Kearney’s Gas Station Poet is guaranteed to be time well spent.

Looking Ahead

This record also makes clear that a Jen Kearney performance is likely to be a top-tier event. She’s a bigtime talent, and finding artists like this whose shows are still in smaller venues and more affordable is one of the very best reasons to get to know who the top-shelf artists are in your local and regional music scenes. According to the “Shows” page of Kearney’s website, she’ll be at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, MA on June 26th, performing in Portsmouth, NH and Cambridge, MA in the back half of July, and has a full-band show (I always love full-band concerts!) on August 20th in Medfield, MA – a free concert at Medford’s Condon Shell. Of course, check back at Kearney’s website for new shows as they’re added, and follow her on Instagram and/or Facebook to see her latest news and announcements.