Joan as Police Woman - Spitfire

  by Lisa Torem

published: 6 / 10 / 2010

Label: Select Label
Format: N/A

intro

In our 'Re:View' column, in which we look back on albums from the past, Lisa Torem examines singer-songwriter Jessie Galante's second solo album, 'Spitfire', which came out last year

Joining the ranks of barbed wire-throated singers like Janis Joplin and Joss Stone, Buffalo-born, Jessie Galante releases her second album, 'Spitfire'. No stranger to the rock circuit, this blonde rebel, had already fronted Actor in the 80s. The group’s song ‘Checkin’ Out’ is still receiving air play on the City’s local classic rock station. Subsequently, she formed the band Fire which brought her to L.A. That effort garnered international acclaim. Back home, she connected with producer, now husband, Larry Swist (Ike & Tina Turner, Spyro Gyra). Swist explains why he was instantly entranced, “I found her passion remarkable and became an instant fan.” Swist produced Galante’s debut, 'GESUA' (Jessie’s Sicilian name). The fiery chanteuse also produced an EP of Italian traditional/classic songs which she brought back to her community. The raw, purity of some of those songs probably gave Galante a perfect pallet on which to launch her new works. The mix of musicians is note-worthy. Bassist Jack Daley (Lenny Kraits, Joss Stone), drummer Frank Ferrier (Psychedelic Furs, Guns 'n’ Roses), guitarist Rob Bailey (Billy Joel, Mandy Moore) and popular players from Hungary; guitarist Janos Szucs and Peter Raso, bassist Tibor Ferenczi, and drummer Janos Takacs. Galante co-wrote the majority of the selections and, along with the aforementioned Swist and Grammy winner Mick Guzauski, takes care to include a healthy mix of genres. In general, the album moves at a fast clip as it encapsulates bold R & B, Soul and Rock/Thrash elements. ‘No Fool No More’, co-written with Lee Horrocks, is also featured in a music video. The well-structured ballad allows Galante’s soft, vulnerable edges to shine through. ‘Get Away’ has a mad, gyrating, hypnotically, repetitive sharpness and was co-written by Raso. Galante swallows hard on the words as she discovers, “We are all flesh and blood,” By the time she sings, “Now it’s time to get away, don’t look back,” she’s spent. The title song, ‘Spitfire’, co-penned by Bailey, is explosive; Galante’s performance holds a visceral physicality; something akin to sandpaper strokes on wrought-iron fences. It starts with an exuberant, burning guitar riff. Then, Galante ushers in the first verse. Her sly attack resounds; “I’m just a simple girl…” That taunt becomes a cajoling snarl. My favourite, though, is ‘Mamma (I Get a Little Crazy).’ “I wake up feeling empty sometimes,” she grieves. The vocal climb is reminiscent of great 60s-70s classic heyday hits. One cover, Sass Jordan’s ‘High Road Easy’ adds a swathe of philosophy. ‘Grown Man Cry’ has a seductive allure. Essentially, Jessie Galante has a distinctive singing style and commendable songwriting skill which comes refreshingly alive in ‘Spitfire.’ Furthermore, her midnight-black, fishnets, leather jacket, blonde hair embracing her blades, and a sensational bold tattoo surrounding her right eye, signal that ‘Spitfire’ Jessie Galante spells head-to-toe excitement.

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