Ever since I recently downloaded all the Juliana Hatfield albums that were missing from my collection, I’ve been alternating between listening to this one and her first solo album, Hey Babe (tracks from that one are posted here). J-Hat and I go way back. We’re, like, total BFFs, which is why I can get away with calling her “J-Hat,” whereas you probably cannot. Seriously, you shouldn’t call her that.

[Unrelated-but-Possibly-Amusing Tangent: Speaking of celebrity BFFs, did you know that Tina Fey and I are, like, tight now? We spent a summer traveling around Germany in a tiny plastic toy car. We had a pretty effing great time, too, except when Tina occasionally got exasperated with me. No, wait, that was just a dream I had the other morning. Good dream. But let’s move on.]

How to Walk Away is one of her best albums.  It’s her signature sound (gritty, girly, guitarry, and completely addictive) but it’s also perhaps a more mature version of that sound.  Most of the songs are about either love gone wrong, solitude, or both. Here are a few of my favorites so far (the last one is the best – I dare you to listen to it and then not walk around humming it for days, nay, WEEKS):

This Lonely Love (featuring Richard Butler)

Now I’m Gone

Remember November

If you’re a Hatfield fan, you should definitely check out her blog, An Arm and a Leg.