Blending such disparate genres as R&B, folk, and blues into a darkly beautiful meditation on life’s inherent dramas, ‘Didn’t You, My Dear?’ by Brooklyn-via-Helsinki singer/songwriter Janita is perhaps the most ideal kind of album: striking in both musicianship and emotion. Radiohead’s seminal ‘OK Computer’ seems to have influenced the anxious yet ultimately serene aura of these songs—particularly the guitar-guided search for peace, “Easing into Sanity” (streaming below)—but Janita’s deft ability to put ferocity atop warmth is what is remarkable. “I used to do tricks,/I used to run after sticks,/I used to play ball with all you pricks,” she brusquely sings over waltzing guitars and drums on “Who’s Gonna Tell the Wolf She’s Not a Dog,” anger giving way to calm. – Zach Weg
