That having been said I was a little lukewarm on the first single off the album Oh My. That didn't last long. For whatever reason, as soon as I stopped listening to the song on the radio and put it in my car and on my iPod... I love it! It's catchy and up-beat and is the perfect way to start an album. (I should really apologise now to other motorists who have had to endure my singing this song at the top of my lungs at various red lights throughout the city. Nah not really. You love it!)
After Oh My Gin serves up Hey Ho; a dirty, sexy guitar, a trumpet blasting in the background, a bevy of backup singers and her unmistakable voice. About as different a track could be from anything on Extended Play! While that's not a criticism by any stretch of the imagination, I'm thankful that we don't need to choose between the softer more folk focused debut EP and the harder, rock-chick side that she demonstrates on Holy Smoke - they've included last year's EP for us!!
What's with the harder sound? Well I think part of it is trying to balance out the more downbeat offering that we heard last year, but I imagine a big part of that is Gin's new band The Cardinals. (yeah! As in Ryan Adams and the...) Connections at her Australian record company put the EP in front of the band and they loved her. Not hard to see why.
I like to listen to the album I'm writing about while I work on these posts. It helps me to pick out high points, low points, pick up adjectives here and there, that sort of thing. By now I'd expect to have heard a bad track but I'm struggling here. I'm being quite patient.
Some favourites from the ten track album? Oh My, Hey Ho, New Revolution, Don't Stop, Mr Freak Show and Dying Day. Blues, Rock, Folk, Pop, Country... the album and EP have it all!
It's not just her voice, which is often compared to Duffy, Macy Gray and Amy Winehouse, but her songwriting ability which combines poignant, fun and brutal lyrics, catchy melodies and the entire spectrum of instruments from those dirty guitars and trumpets to the ukulele.
As much as anything else, the music is a reflection of Gin herself - a trait missing from more and more musicians these days. Giant smile, wild and gorgeous eyes and with a touch of crazy, she's a blast and personality just pours out of her on stage. Charisma and a touch of self-doubt - what a combination!
Call my biased, but I love this album. I really do believe that Gin will be the next big thing to come out of New Zealand and storm the world! Buy it and enjoy it. I know you will.
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4 Stars
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