What kind of music does a pregnant woman make in 2007?
I wonder about these things sometimes during my long weekend drives to my girlfriend's place. The question arose when I picked up Jennifer Tefft's latest disc Time Is A Thief, which took a year for her to finish because she was pregnant for most of its recording.
That really has no bearing on the songs, as it turns out. Tefft is very much a female singer/songwriter writing alternative rock music; indeed, much of these songs would sound at home on a Cranberries or Sinead O'Connor CD circa 1992 (or maybe Juliana Hatfield with a sexier voice).
The songs are rich, long on attitude and minor-key power chords with Tefft's voice at the forefront. There are guitar solos -- the point where the solo shifts into the pre-chorus chords on "Enemy," which drop off so the drums can take over, is right out of 1973 -- and the disc has a sort of classic rock feel. It's a joy to listen to, really, albeit a tad depressing.
"You can't fight back / You're your own enemy" Tefft declares on "Enemy," which is a harbinger of the sort of spirit on this disc. Songs like "Undone" and "Uncomfortable" deal with loss of identity, loss of love and waiting for something good to come along; the latter song crawls along at a post-grunge pace that Soundgarden would be proud of.
Tefft does not have a unique voice, but its pleading, downcast quality meshes perfectly with the music, as if she really feels what she's singing. ABC picked up the rights to "Uncomfortable" and "Soliloquy" for one of its shows, which are odd choices but probably good picks for whatever show they end up on. "Enemy" would have been a much better pick, or even "Sexy," which sounds like the thinking woman's answer to the Cranberries' "Linger."
Although the songs are rich with emotion and texture, the '90s alternative approach to each one wears a bit thin after a while, to the point where the songs start sounding alike. It's not that they are bad songs, but it means you can pick any five songs and get the same experience each time, since there is not really one song (besides "Uncomfortable" and "Enemy") that stands out among the rest. Yet there is not one bad song either -- "Bounce" and "All This Time" are pretty good, actually, and "Waiting (Letter To A Friend)" is both poignant and somewhat trippy, especially with its syllables sung in place of words in the chorus.
"Is This Enough" is a highlight buried near the end, a sort of cross between Pavement and the Toadies' "Possum Kingdom" with Tefft's typically downcast vocals coming through, sounding a bit like a less self-promoting Sheryl Crow. "Quiet Sky" closes things on an introspective note.
So to answer the question, it would seem a pregnant woman in 2007 makes excellent music that, with a hint of experimentation, could propel her to greater heights. Tefft breaks no new ground here, but updates a familiar sound that is a welcome change from the female-driven pop and R&B on the radio. Time Is A Thief turns out to be time well spent.