Georgie Carter - In My Shoes

Georgie Carter is still in her late teens but before we look to the heavens and let out a yawn with thoughts that here is yet another young female singer/songwriter vying for our attention it should be noted that she hasn’t taken the Adele / Duffy road of trying to recreate the sounds of the past but has actually hit upon something new and fresh. The problem with the current batch of female singers is that they seem to have trouble holding onto their initial success. Josh Stone got off to a fine start as did Norah Jones but their light soon faded, Adele’s album didn’t match up to the promise of her single. Candie Payne the jury is still out on, and don’t even get me started on a talent as strong as Amy Winehouse; for those of us who were there in the beginning and bought ‘Frank’ way back in 2003 it’s a crying shame that she hasn’t been left alone to make the music she is obviously so capable of doing. Of the new breed Duffy is the one that will be still making good music in years to come and now we can add the name of Georgie Carter alongside her. Thankfully their music couldn’t be more different. For starters Georgie sings like a 19 year old. There’s no attempt to add any kind of maturity to her voice and try to turn her into a Dusty or Aretha for the 2000's. While I’d be the first to say that Duffy sounds like the real deal there are many other females who are trying just that little bit too hard to gain some kind of credibility. You get the impression that Georgie Carter is just being herself, much like Kate Nash and Lily Allen. But whereas with those two young talents their vocals can be a little demanding or wearing at times Georgie, over these eleven songs, never once over steps the mark. Georgie’s vocals won’t appeal to everyone, there’s a little too much of that cute little-girl-lost sound to them to propel her directly to the top of everyone’s list. But for those of us who find it appealing to have our female singers pushing boundaries just a little (Björk, Kate Bush, Tori Amos) and at least trying to come up with something new then Georgie fits the bill perfectly. As far as I can tell all eleven songs are originals, although I do know she has composed with her brother and others which makes this debut solo album from the former Tempa Tempa backing singer ( brother Jake was / is also a member) even more impressive. There is no mistaking where Georgie comes from when she sings, and those vocals are going to find favour in many countries. This young singer is so full of life she’s infectious. Her melodies are instant but not annoyingly so and she paints a good picture lyrically. There’s nothing too deep going on here, just a bunch of enjoyable, catchy songs sung by a girl who obviously feels what she sings and who sounds like she is having fun singing them rather than wanting to mope about her life and how hard it is. A breath of fresh air in other words. In spite of all the Corinne Bailey Rae and Nelly Furtado comparisons being made it’s fairer to say that Georgie has more in common with Colbie Caillat; they both make light, bright pop music which is undemanding although where the similarity ends is that where the Californian palls over a whole album our Oxfordshire girl actually leaves you wanting more. They both write catchy tunes but Georgie has the edge over a whole album. Rather than take the straight pop route Georgie has mixed various styles into her songs which makes the album an altogether more appealing collection. On this debut it appears that Georgie has it all; the tunes, the voice, the looks and the determination to make it despite heavy competition. This is a very impressive debut and one of the better albums so far this year. It comes very highly recommended.

Track Listing:-

1 Little Bit Lost
2 Beautiful Illusion
3 Here For The Summer
4 In My Shoes
5 Easy Loving You
6 I'll Be Your Friend
7 Stumble Across Your Mind
8 Perfection
9 Falling Star
10 Coconut Milk
11 Tiptoe