Miriam Jones - Between Green and Gone

  by Alexia Arrizabalaga

published: 22 / 2 / 2015

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Review

What is great about reviewing records and albums is discovering artists that are not necessarily on your radar or music playlist. After reading about Miriam Jones, her love of travelling and her music heritage, I was very pleased to receive her album ‘Between Green and Gone’ through my letterbox. Singer-songwriter Jones was born in Vancouver, but spent her childhood in British Columbia and Papua New Guinea. Her parents are American, so Miriam spent time in Nashville, her mother's home town. Years, later, Miriam returned to Nashville to collaborate on her album, ‘Miriam Jones and the Red Sea’ (2011), with Grammy award-winning producer Charlie Peacocks. Miriam, who is based in Oxford, has lived in the UK for a number of years now On ‘Between Green and Gone’, which is her sixth album, Miriam Jones collaborated with producer Simon Edwards. It features ten songs and stories about life and love. These stories are personal and universal at the same time. They work perfectly as an ensemble but also individually. Her globe-trekking has had a huge influence on her unique sound and musical arrangements. You caan hear the footprint of Nashville in her melodies, and the wide range of guitar styles throughout the album. ‘Between Green and Gone’ combines great poetry with melancholy even on the more up-beat tracks. There is a strong feeling of both freedom and wilderness on it, similar to when you are on a road trip, and driving through towns, countries and landscapes, with all the human experience that implies. From the first song ‘Train’, the listener is hooked by its witty lyrics and catchy melodies. It is a great metaphor about love (come, stay for a while and go), led by Miriam's strong vocals and her powerful guitars. At times, especially in the chorus, there is a touch of Sheryl Crow. ‘Given All’ is a delicate ballad, relying mainly on Miriam' strong vocal range and sincere lyrics. The first notes of the song immediately catch the listener’s attention. ‘Unknown’ is a song to listen to over and over again: the two verses have minimal music arrangements, allowing the audience to focus on the darkness of the lyrics. The melody comes to life in the chorus with lovely vocal arrangements that capture a romance that has gone wrong (“But I won’t give up waiting for the phone or a car outside my home/There’s been a big misunderstanding”). ‘Don’t Be Hard On Me’ deals with another break-up and the hard ending of a relationship, combining crisp verses and a catchy fast-paced chorus. ‘Between Green and Gone’ is like a collection of short-stories that are both linked and different from one another. Miriam Jones opens her soul up in a confident and unique style in which she picks each word carefully. Before we know it, ‘Stay’ brings the LP to a beautiful end. Indeed we want to stay and listen some more. This is a powerful, beautifully-written album. I can't wait to hear these songs live when Miriam Jones is on tour!

Track Listing:-

1 Train
2 Cracks
3 Warning
4 Given All
5 Unknown
6 Don't Be Hard On Me
7 Float
8 Missed You
9 All Over
10 Stay

Band Links:-

https://twitter.com/miriamjones
https://www.facebook.com/miriamjonesmu

Label Links:-

http://cadizmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CADIZMUSIC
http://cadizmusic.co.uk/