Kara Jackson - pawnshop

Let’s slow things down a bit today. Way down. We don’t need a dance party every day, do we? Well, that’s probably a bad question because of course we do. But let’s take a deep breath and take a break. Let’s listen to the quiet grandeur of Kara Jackson’s “pawnshop.”

“pawnshop” answers the question: What if someone other than Joni Mitchell wrote a Joni Mitchell song? This is meant as a total compliment and not an accusation. Kara Jackson captures Joni’s vibe without ripping it off, she’s not a knock-off. The clever lyrics (she was, evidently, the Youth Poet Laureate!), the striking voice, the gentle wobble of the music. All that’s missing is sitting on a deck in Laurel Canyon. Possibly with Brandi Carlisle.

We might run into this situation on more than one occasion here at 3-6-5. I could make up 18 sentences about how awesome this song is, use a lot of flowery words and make obscure references. Make it about my writing and not the song. But I’d rather shut up. Slow things down. And just ask you to press play.

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