The Juliana Hatfield Three – Become What You Are

Track one, Supermodel, opens up with a song about how empty models are, and how they are so sad. I was hoping not to find this trope on this record but I figured I would. At least they get it over with on the track one, side one. I’m going into this with the memory that this album is as 90’s as a long sleeve under a tee shirt. 

My Sister is the one hit wonder off of the album. I confess that I was immediately like “hey I like this song, I know this song, it reminds me of smoking cigarettes and bad pot in the woods.” Of course I would not have admitted back then that I dug Juliana Hatfield, lest I receive a proper riffing from my friends. I see where it would be deserved; to paraphrase my wife: “Why listen to Julianna Hatfield when we have PJ Harvey who does the same thing, only better.” Ouch, but not wrong.

It probably has something to do with my infatuation with late 80s/early 90s Boston alternative rock culture. Which I admit is an absurdly specific time to be infatuated with. While this song was on I was sitting in a traffic jam and I looked up and said “hey I know that building, that’s from the cover of a Blake babies album”. Some people wish they were in Seattle in 1990, I have Boston in 89.

the building to the right was Tower Records, another relic of the 90’s that has faded from memory.

In This Is the Sound, she casually says “bridge” when the bridge comes up. Is this because the other two don’t know when the change is? Why don’t they know when the change is? Did Hatfield change the location of the bridge? If so, why wasn’t this discussed before Mammoth records paid Scott Litt a dump truck of money to record this? I’m so confused. Also the song is fun and goofy, but also stupid. I’m so conflicted.

Moving on… I  feel like the next few songs are very juvenile. Or innocent. But I’m not sure if that’s on purpose. It’s mixed. She won’t commit to goofy or dramatic and I can’t figure out if Hatfield is trying to make me question my own perception. What the hell does any of this mean??!!??

It’s been ten songs now and I now feel like I’m actually inside a Delia*s catalog. Send help soon, or I may end up spending the rest of my days trapped in an episode of My So Called Life. Which is a show that, incidentally, had an episode featuring Juliana Hatfield as a dead homeless teenage alternative rock singer.

Pictured: dead homeless teenage alternative rock singer.

I can’t make it through the entire record in one sitting, but I don’t know if it’s because I dislike it, or I’m just bored.

Verdict: Unless your name is Angela Chase, I’d pass.