The sophomore album from
Carlyn Bezic
(aka
Jane Inc
), 2022's
Faster Than I Can Take
finds the Toronto native further expanding her arty, '80s-style funk and synth pop. Where 2021's
Number One
had an elastic, disco-influenced sound,
is more opaque, rife with thumping electro beats and chilly keyboards. Remaining consistent is
Bezic
's stylish, yearning vocal, which falls somewhere between
Kate Bush
and
Debbie Harry
. There's something both earnest and idiosyncratic about
's work on
, a kind of lost-in-time feeling akin to left-of-center productions by artists like
Shuggie Otis
and cult '80s Canadian crooner
Lewis
. Cuts like the opening "Contortionists," "2120," and "Dance with You" are hooky dance club anthems that straddle the line between early-'80s
Prince
and the work of new wave bands like
Animotion
. There's also a low-key industrial influence a la
Nine Inch Nails
coursing through tracks like "Human Being" and the shimmering, slow-burn atmosphere of "Every Rip." While synthy dance music is at the core of
's sound, she doesn't shy away from other genres, including folk, Brazilian, and singer/songwriter styles. There's also a nice blend of organic and electronic instruments, as on "Picture of the Future," where she contrasts her robotic, video game beat with a breezy, bossa nova-sounding acoustic riff. Similarly, on "Pummeled Into Sand," she accents her richly harmonized vocals with a fuzzy, laser-toned electric guitar solo, a combination that brings to mind '70s
Queen
. With
,
continues to bring her auteurist electro dreams to life. ~ Matt Collar