Jane Child review, 1993
In honor of her first birthday of the official Jane Child Revival Era
Dave Moore, while trying to figure out his favorite albums of 1989 for an online poll, has apparently discovered one I was briefly obsessed with myself, eons ago. “The album that jumped out as my retroactive favorite of the year was Canadian pop artist Jane Child’s debut Jane Child,” he wrote on his Substack last year. “Her self-titled debut was a total shock to me, as it seemed to lay out the entire blueprint for the trajectory of music I’ve followed for much of my life, the Alanis/Avril/Taylor journey: from alt-rock of the ‘90s, to confessional teenpop of the ‘00s, to the darker alt-pop turn of the ‘10s, and finally our current era of baroquely articulated angst slammed against an ‘80s brick wall of sound. The whole journey is hinted at on this album from what seems like an ancient prehistory; she sounds like she got to the end of the book before the story had really started.”
On bluesky, he added that Child’s pop hit “Don’t Wanna Fall in Love” “is going to be my walk on music, and by walk on music I mean the music that’s playing when I strut confidently through the pearly gates.” T.A. Inskeep: “How old were you in ’89/’90 when ‘Don’t Wanna Fall in Love’ was out? And presuming you were of pop-listening-age, HOW in the world did you not know it?! It was EVERYWHERE. I recall being so upset that she got stuck at #2; what a brilliant single.” Dave: “I was 5/6 when it came out. I must have heard it in public but it wasn’t a song like Whitney or Paula Abdul that I remember listening to at home.”
All of which apparently means the Jane Child Revival is finally upon us! And (having been born to a pair of musicians in Ontario February 15, 1967) she turned 59 yesterday, no less. Perfect opportunity to dig this ancient review out of the mothballs.
Spin, October 1993/Eliminated for Reasons of Space, 27 March 2025
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gaetanoschowalter14
Wow- I became obsessed with “Don’t Want To Fall in Love” a few years ago when it bubbled up in my subconscious. (Canadian teen at the time, who “hated” pop lol) but that earworm got me and must have been stamped into my DNA thanks to the video being in rotation on Muchmusic. It’s on all my playlists now! I’ll have to seek out the one from ’93. Never know what I’ll find in your emails, Mr. Eddy! Thanks for your service
James Auburn Tootle
Big fan of Miz Child myself, and also miffed that she wasn’t bigger – ahead of her time in multiple respects. Many mocked her hair, nose accessory, and fashion choices in ’89; five years later, everyone looked like her. It doesn’t get more 1994 than that promo photo above, and she was *still* a year early.