Always innovative, Barb Jungr's explorations of the songs of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen have been among her most acclaimed and recognised work. Having performed Dylan's songs for many years, Jungr first brought the music of the pair together on record a decade ago on Hard Rain (2014); now, following up the amazing My Marquee album (2023), she does so again on her latest release, aided by long-time collaborators Simon Wallace on piano/keys, Davide Mantovani on bass, and Gary Hammond on percussion. The result is another irresistible, richly compelling synthesis of the work of songwriters of genius and one of our greatest contemporary vocalists that finds brand new colours in familiar (and some less familiar) songs.
As the title suggests, Jungr starts with a song she's so far consciously avoided due to its over-exposure. From Jeff Buckley's transcendent version to its status as an X Factor audition staple, "Hallelujah" isn't necessarily a song you'd rush to hear again. But Jungr's version makes it totally fresh - in her hands, it's a narrative that really builds, charting a love affair's various contours and becoming a deep expression of gratitude for all that was expo "There's a blaze of light in every word/It doesn't matter which you heard:/ the holy or the broken Hallelujah," Jungr sings, incorporating one of the verses not always used in other versions but one that's key to the meaning here. Many renditions have used the song for superficial uplift; Jungr, in contrast, digs deep to its core of redemption, hope and perseverance.
Lesser Cohen songs also gain much from Jungr and the musicians' treatments. I've never thought much of "Slow" as a piece of writing but the jazzy arrangement and Jungr's sultry, defiant vocal more than redeem the dips into doggerel. "Tonight Will Be Fine" is taken briskly and optimistically and "Tower of Song" - already on its way to becoming a standard - is wonderfully loose and insouciant here, in an arrangement that messes with the metre to great effect.
When it comes to Dylan songs, Jungr's choices here are as surprising as what she makes of them. "The phraseology of this song is not Dylanesque," suggests Tony Attwood of the Traveling Wilbury's "Handle with Care", questioning "how much of Dylan there is in this". But Jungr's delightful rendition more than makes the case for its inclusion, creating something far fresher than previous versions by Jenny Lewis or Stephen Stills and Judy Collins. The most indisputably Dylanesque of Dylan epics, "Desolation Row" is piano-led here, also with some subtle and effective instrumental touches. Jungr's vocal is extraordinarily warm and gracious, ushering the listener hospitably in to the dense tumble of imagery and characters in a way that's reminiscent of her take on another demanding piece, Jacques Brel's "The Cathedral." It's a totally immersive 9 minutes.
A funky "Mississippi" and a radiant "New Morning" are also highlights. And "Kansas City" - drawn from The New Basement Tapes, of all places - might be my very favourite thing here, as Jungr's delivery alternates taut, slightly menacing verses with gorgeously expressive, airy choruses conveying the narrator's increasing resolve. Jungr returns to Cohen for the finale. "You Got Me Singing" is stirring and gospel-tinged here, and, with the lyrical reference to "the Hallelujah hymn," it brings the record beautifully full circle.
Given the range of material covered across the 11 tracks - from the writers' early songs to later or newly discovered compositons - Hallelujah on Desolation Row is remarkably cohesive as a listening experience: a testament to the shared vision of Jungr and the musicians. It's also among the most successful of Jungr's albums in conveying some of the in-the-moment spontaneity of her live shows. It's a reminder, too, of how much remains to be mined, rediscovered and explored in these songs. "A blaze of light in ever word," and Jungr makes sure that we experience each and every one.
Hallelujah on Desolation Row is available to buy or stream here.
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