Tainted Timeline is proof that soft grunge still exists and man, is it thriving thanks to Sarah Jane. This unique yet familiar compilation of songs that scream Radiohead and Fugazi, with a heavy amount of yearning and emotion has resulted in an album that vibes with your very being. And just in time for spooky season!

 

Sarah Jane is the answer to the alt-rock, grunge community's needs, with her second solo album release in as many years. Tainted Timeline presents the perfect balance between soft and hard grunge with Sarah's thought-provoking and personal lyricism and guitar riffs and drum beats that are so sharp they could slice through thin air.

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The album starts off with already released track Sleepwalking, and you best believe this is still a favourite of mine. Imagine if Ruby Fields did grunge. Yeah, awesome. Sarah Jane then crosses over into the softer side of grunge with tracks Cross Contaminate and August, showing that she knows how to balance out grunge sounds to make an overall brilliantly produced album. The stunning acoustics that come through on these tracks are simple yet effective, and a step up from her last album which was fully acoustic. Plus, the build up on August is POWERFUL.

 

Then comes Control which for some reason reminds me of Happy Together by The Turtles, but if it were grunge. Something that would feature in Donnie Darko for sure! She gets back into the acoustics with Poison and Rest, featuring stunningly personal lyricism with hints of string melodies, soft drums and eerie sounds. Plus, to name a song Poison and have it as pretty as it is is as a brilliant irony.

 

Personally, the second half of the album is my favourite. Tracks like Marry and Suffocate will sound electrifying live and they posses a perfect balance of emotive vocals and brilliantly executed drum work. Suffocate is one of my favourites on the album - and not just because it's Sarah's too! If there was one song to encompass the whole album, this would be it. It's eerie yet hard hitting and unapologetically honest.

 

Speaking of eerie, Bully then introduces itself with vocals effects that shake you to your core, especially when the "ooh" echoes come in; honestly, I started smiling at how awesome the layers all sounded together. The build up of vocals, guitar and drums before the chorus kicks in is exceptional and the chorus that comes next is no disappointment.

 

Before finishing off this fantastically composed record, Sarah Jane introduces The Kids which brings something different to the album - an emotional piano track - and then drops the title of the record in Talk About It; an incredibly important song about getting people to, well, talk about their issues before it's too late.

 

Cut My Teeth has to have been the best choice for a final song on Tainted Timeline. The layers of vocals and instrumentals are strong and brilliantly produced, reflecting the success of the songs that came before. Every element on every song is so controlled, yet much like its grunge genre wild and energetic at the same time. The way she starts out some songs in a soft, acoustic form before picking it up with a rock build up becomes almost expected as you listen more and more, however the feeling of pleasure and rush you get from each build up never ceases to please.

 

A fantastically produced album from Sarah Jane. Listen to this one in a dark room, or in a lighting storm! It's the perfect album for your Halloween party.

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You can see the full track listing below and remember that Tainted Timeline is available on all major streaming services as well as at Sarah Jane's merch store along with some DIY zines, handwritten lyric sheets, stickers, shirts and more.

 

Track listing:

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1. Sleepwalking

2. Cross Contaminate

3. August

4. Control

5. Poison

6. Rest

7. Marry

8. Suffocate

9. Bully

10. The Kids

11. Talk About It 

12. Cut My Teeth