Census Designated

I don’t think I'll ever be able to describe in words what Frailty means to me. It relesed at the perfect time. I think Jane is only a year or two older than me, so the themes and motifs throughout the album really resonated with me. I’ve lived my whole life as a closeted queer, and up until recently, the art I consume was one of the only ways I could express that queerness. So having an album so assuredly unsure in itself, so confident in its own awkwardness and insecurity, was exactly what I needed. Not to mention the gorgeous, layered, diy production on that album still being as staggering on my fiftieth listen as my first. This is an album that has and will define my teenage years, but I'm an adult now. I’ve got fucking bills now, and as my adult life has come into full force, here is Census Designated. As Jane described it herself, “Frailty was the coming of age, Census Designated is that age.”

Gone are the days of the naive, colorful, indietronica of Frailty. Census Designated is bleak, slow, sexual, and noisy. This is a goddamn rock album, there is not a dash of hyperpop anywhere on this project. Which was a concern at first. Frailty is amazing but it is also super imperfect, the soundscape of that album could be refined so much more but Jane has decided rather than tread old ground, to run away to another town. There is no ‘movies for guys’ on this album. The structures on this album aren’t too strange, I can actually understand most of the sounds I’m listening to, unlike Frailty. But despite these minor concerns, Jane has delivered. Census Designated is by almost every measure fantastic, a masterful work that I’m going to listen to for years to come.

It’s staggering how much Jane has improved on this album. Comparing the monotone drone that was Jane’s voice on Frailty, to the belting confidence of Census Designated, is like night and day. The singing on Frailty was charming but easily the least interesting aspect of that project, and my only real issue with the album. Jane commands on CD. The lyricism on this album is a cut above even most singer-songwriters working today, Jane portrays these bleak, abusive relationships with a pen that is so vivid, and so detailed it’s excellent. The disturbing eroticism of this album has a grip on my soul.

And of course, production is insane, name another producer better than Jane Remover right now, I'll wait. Every song is so rich with detail, so many layers of delicious sound. Jane takes those aesthetics and makes some of the best noise I’ve heard since Frailty. These songs are beautiful, catchy, and approachable despite the harsh walls of sound throughout this project. Is this glitch pop? Is this a post-rock? I don’t give a fuck it’s JANE REMOVER.

In terms of highlights, it’s kind of like every track. Cage Girl is a spectacular opener, it’s been great seeing this song progress since the original demo, The new verses and performance are really fantastic. And the instrumentation is pristine. This is a really beautiful song and a great opener.

Lips was a single I played over 100 times, and I still like it!! The odd melodies and singing definitely took some getting used to but I've grown to love them. The build makes this song, the moment the guitars kick into high gear it’s electrifying. This is also the first time we hear drums on the album, and it’s spectacular.

Fling almost gives glimpses of Frailty in the first thirty seconds(it’s the search party alt demo duh!!!), and then Jane reminds us that she is a big rock girl now and hits us with one of the catchiest choruses and hits of noise, she’s ever written. It’s crazy that there are like five better instrumentals on this album because the guitar work and layers on this song are incredible.

Backseat Girl and Idling Somewhere both have wailing walls of noise and powerful performances from Jane. And they are both two of the best rock songs I've ever heard. I love the venturing callbacks on Backseat Girl, and the walls of sound on the chorus are excellent. I also adore the outro, one of my favorite moments on the album. But then Idling Somewhere does take everything Backseat Girl does even better. I love Jane’s performance and the fluctuations of noise, just when you think the track can’t go any harder it does, the instrumental melting away in the best way possible. Every sound on this song blends together to perfection, one of Jane’s best songs ever.

Holding a Leech and Always Have Always Will are definitely the slowest and weakest songs on Census but not bad by any means. Holding a Leech has one of the better builds on this album. I love Jane’s vocal and lyrical work here, and the effects on her voice on the back half are really fucking good. And Always Have Always Will sticks out because it is the only track on here that is just good. Not bad, not even subpar in any way. It’s not being spectacular is the only thing holding it back. Although “drunk like a pop star, hung like a model” is my bio for everything now.

And the title track is fucking amazing. Genuinely might be one of my new favorite songs of all time. I have played it endlessly, and it has not gotten old once. The shouts of “WITHOUT ME”. the haunting lyricism, the amazing wails of noise, the layers OH THE LAYERS, the pop girl performance by Jane, the fucking insane outro. This is a perfect song, it’s so good it almost makes the rest of the album seem mild by comparison. If Jane needs an indication of where to go in the future, use this song as a blueprint it’s fucking fire. There’s no song this year that will come close to the sonic perfection, it’s indescribably good, just go listen to it.

Video is one of the best showings lyrically, and has a beautiful build. Despite so many songs on this album having a similar build and structure, this song still manages to be pretty captivating at nearly nine minutes. The final crescendo of this song, being one of the most gratifying moments on this album.

And Contingency Song is an amazing finish, the original already being near perfection and this version getting inches away. This might be Jane’s greatest experiment on this project, the soundscape she creates on this song is haunting, on an already disturbing and bleak album this still manages to be the most harrowing song, and the scream on the back half is a great touch. The song ends leaving this album on a bizarre, insane high and then Jane fucks off, with another one of the best albums of the decade under her belt.

Overall this is genuinely one of the best albums I’ve ever heard, and quickly becoming a new favorite. I think Jane might be a musical genius, genuinely. From this, Frailty and the dariacore series, she has demonstrated production prowess that is unmatched at her level. She has become one of if not my favorite artist, and it’s because of albums like these. Give this shit a listen, and if you’re disappointed give it another five tries, you won't be disappointed.