When she started to think about making Fireworks & Karate Supplies, Jennie DeVoe had a plan--and it started with getting well-known producer John Parish (PJ Harvey, The Eels) to produce it. Though they'd never met, she sent him her demos and ideas for the record--and a great partnership was born.

 

Off she and her band went to Bath, England, completely out of their comfort-zone, where they recorded a record unlike either of DeVoe's two previous studio efforts. It is exactly what she envisioned: raw, real, and, for fans & critics, a revelation. 

 

Here's what IndieMusic.com critic Heidi Drockelman, had to say: "I am inexplicably floored by this effort. While I know Jennie to be a solid performer, a truly unique vocal talent, and, yes, one of the hardest-working women on the Midwestern music scene, I still sit, dumbfounded, at the complete artistic actualization she’s managed to get down on record.

 

"On Fireworks, Jennie has taken lyrical leaps of faith that catapult her recording experience to a new level. In fact, the brevity she possesses within her languid, raspy performance is risky, but all the while it seems a natural progression in all its sexy, bluesy, truthful bliss. There isn’t a single misstep here, and the ultra-clean velvety touch of the production and mastering team captures the true essence of a performer in her prime.

 

"This record is bathed not only in the warmth, honesty, and fire of that otherworldly instrument DeVoe so ably bends to her will, but subtly plays itself out in guitar and bass lines that selflessly showcase that massively enormous voice. DeVoe’s powerhouse may sometimes stop you in your tracks, but it also possesses a sweetness that surges and sears the soul."