published: 27 /
9 /
2008
Label:
Flock Records
Format: CD
Sparse in tone, but compelling debut album from Dubline-based musician Jenny Lindfors, which, while while throwing back to the classic singer-songwriters of the late 60's and 70's, at the same time also sounds totally fresh and contemporary
Review
This album, the debut from this talented Irish singer / songwriter, has been available for over a month now; it’s a shame that I am a little late reviewing it as, if I wasn’t listening to this album in the same month as I have been listening to the latest release by Eileen Rose, then I’d go as far as to say that this was the best album I have heard this month.
While we may not need yet another sensitive female singer / songwriter Dubliner Jenny shows throughout these twelve songs that she is, in fact, a cut above the rest in an overcrowded genre. Not only composing all twelve songs, Jenny also produced the album and plays most of the instruments herself.
Housed in a fantastic cover, which would look even better if a vinyl version was available so we could appreciate the montages in a decent size, the album is a throwback in a lot of ways to the sound of the late 60's / early 70's. Albums like Carole King’s ‘Tapestry’ come to mind, Jenny takes a more folk influenced route than that particular album and adds African percussion to add more texture and another dimension to her songs. That helps Jenny’s music stand out from her contemporaries and on songs like ‘2x1’ where Jenny harmonises with herself , even though the instrumentation is minimal, ( just guitars, percussion and harmonica) those vocals make the song so full, and it sounds like she has the backing of a full band.
Those vocals make the album. After all the majority of the songs are stripped bare musically, so to hold our attention the vocals have to be something special and Jenny certainly has a fantastic voice. It’s one of those voices that doesn’t have to use vocal aerobatics to get herself heard. The beautiful ‘Lovestage’ is practically a showcase for Jenny’s vocals. Having produced the album herself one can only assume that all the arrangements, all the places where Jenny harmonises, were her ideas. It’s the work of an extremely talented musician. That’s for sure.
I hear a mass of excellent female singers in both Jenny’s vocals and writing, from Judee Sill, the above mentioned Carole King, through to Beth Orton even, they are all in there somewhere but Jenny injects these songs that are so obviously influenced by the classic female singer / songwriters from the 70's, with just the right amount of originality to make her work sound so fresh and contemporary.
I’m uncertain just how old Jenny is but judging by the photos on the cover I’d say mid-twenties maybe but her vocals, while retaining some innocence, are coming from someone with a soul that is older than that. The vocals have purity to them. I would have said that she was English and not a Dublin girl if I didn’t know better to be honest. but in spite of that innocence, that pureness, there’s a powerful voice that you’ll believe in.
Not totally in a folk vein and definitely not in the pop genre, Jenny straddles both sounds to make her own unique music.
This is beautiful music, no doubt of that, and Jenny has every right to be proud of this debut, let’s hope she doesn’t get lost in an overcrowded genre; her songs demand to be heard. And anyway, any one that rates the long-forgotten band Savage Rose deserves any success coming their way!
Track Listing:-
1
Nightime
2
Voodoo
3
I Don't Really Want You Here
4
2 x 1
5
Lovestage
6
Looming
7
Let The Seas Calm
8
By The Wayside
9
Fearful Things
10
Timewarp
11
Play It Away
12
Light Up