Twist And Shout

Lessons for Mutants is the sixth solo LP by prolific songwriter Johanna Warren and her second for Wax Nine/Carpark Records. Lessons for Mutants was tracked live with a band to two-inch tape—a revelatory new way of working for Warren. The album’s running theme of metamorphosis reflects major changes in Warren’s personal life: after a decade of relentless touring, as the world was closing its borders, the American multi-instrumentalist unexpectedly found herself quarantining in rural Wales, where she’s now permanently homesteading. The body of work that emerged from this dramatic about-face is Warren’s most dynamic to date, shapeshifting seamlessly from searing punk screams to sparkly psych-folk soundscapes, from the bootleg ambivalence of Dylan’s Basement Tapes to cosmic stoner grooves reminiscent of Black Sabbath’s acoustic moments.