If you’re gonna release a debut, it might as well be a good ‘un.
Well, actually this is not just a good ‘un, it’s brilliant with Kensaltown Records’
album producer and label owner Martin Terefe bagging himself a major star in
the making. The PR hype says, "The woman is an exceptional talent." She is.
Watching her perform on Later with Jools Holland on Friday 11th April
I didn’t think she came across too well on her first song. Then came a spell-binding
duet with Ed Harcourt, singing the divine ballad Clear The Way – and that
was it. Hooked.
This unique singer-songwriter born in Pennsylvania to devout Baptist preacher
father eventually moved to Nashville, and found her mojo.
The results on The Courtesy Fall are nothing short of spectacular. It’s
in the hands of the gods for her to crack the UK and European market and it would
truly be shame if she didn’t. There are two single possibilities here – Clear The Way
and Coldplay-ish Island, which the latter should be released immediately.
It’s a sure-fire winner.
Drawing influences from 1920s/1930s country, jazz and blues she successfully
crafted her own style with conviction and credibility, making her stand-out
from the crowd of run-of-the-mill singer-songwriters of recent years. Her
vocals are whisky flavoured and razor sharp which is pleasantly refreshing, somewhere
between Norah Jones and Billie Holiday, most notable on the lazy jazz wanderings
of Fortuneteller.
She’s also capable of mixing it a bit too. The lo-fi beginning of All In Your Head
eventually turns into epic proportions, while Devil’s Flame is a teasing
grungy mid-paced rocker with Kinnard some nifty playful sensuality. Freewheeling No Different Now
is the most direct song here, and most commercial, sounding much like mid-70s
Fleetwood Mac.
Her ability to deliver a simple song – Lean To The Glass
– with its tender acoustic guitar touches shows she’s not the kind of singer
whose reliant on big production to create an impact. One Little Step Way
is co-written with Cerys Matthews is a gorgeous but sometimes edgey ballad,
with damaged swaying lullaby White Walls closing a magnificent debut.
1. All In Your Head
2. Devil’s Flame
3. No Different Now
4. Island
5. Fortuneteller
6. Clear The Way
7. You’re My Kite
8. Stop And Start
9. Lean To The Glass
10. One Little Step Away
11. Pennsylvania
12. White Walls
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2008.
