Imelda May - Mayhem

 

Imelda May - Mayhem
2011, Decca Records

Dublin native Imelda may is just too good to not be noticed.  Her self-released debut album, Love Tattoo, went triple platinum in Ireland, and she has already shared the stage with the likes of Eric Clapton, Chuck Berry, Meatloaf, Van Morrison and David Gilmour.  Imelda May’s blend of surf, indie, rockabilly and pop is distinctive, and dare it be said, original.  Imelda May’s voice makes you want to drop all that you’re doing and simply listen.  Perhaps most important in a performer, however, is personality.  Imelda May is a whirlwind, sweeping listeners along on her journeys with a blend of intrigue, sex appeal and pure, unadulterated chutzpah.  May’s U.S. debut album, Mayhem, is the sort of album you simply cannot put down.

Mayhem opens with the infectiously danceable rock n roll of "Pulling The Plug".  The simple arrangement offered here works perfectly, allowing Imelda May's gritty/sultry voice a proper introduction that will captivate listeners.  May sounds like a zesty blend of Chrissie Hynde, Tina Turner and Nellie McKay.  "Psycho" is driven by biting surf guitar, exploring a relationship with one scary dude.  May's enigmatic vocal lights up the irrepressible quirk pop number that builds into its own sort of madness in the end.  "Mayhem" is the sort of song that simply won't leave you alone.  Don't expect to sit still, and you'll be drawn to hit replay over and over again.  There's some excellent guitar work here, and an urgent energy that's impossible to ignore.

Imelda May changes pace with "Kentish Town Waltz", a song of true love and perseverance.  If you haven't realized it before now, the song drives home the fact that Imelda May is not just another pop wannabe.  Her take on the perfect state of imperfection that is love is insightful and authentic.  It's an amazing piece of songwriting and performed with a touch of class.  May revs things up again with the sexy come-on of "All For You".  Steeped in a blend of jazz and 1950's rock sounds, the song is a star vehicle that allows Imelda May's personality and charisma to blow up bigger than life. 

Mayhem takes a breather with the light rockabilly of "Eternity", a quiet celebration of love that follows the long wait for the right one to come along.  It's a nice, upbeat love song that avoids schmaltz while digging into a quietly effervescent joy.  "Inside Out" is a catchy, nightclub style love song.  Full of gentle humor and a positive vibe, this is an intimate musical moment that shows depth as a performer and interpreter of songs.  "Proud And Humble" is an urgent bit of urban folk and blues with a memorable chorus; one side of a conversation with God trying to reconcile pride in making good choices with the humility required to make them.  The theme here is a classic contradiction of the human condition; one that has been pulled apart and reconstructed by philosophers, poets and songwriters since humans first put paint to rock.  Imelda May comes along and imparts a brief musical soliloquy in everyday terms that makes it all seem like child's play.

Things get wild and crazy on "Sneaky Freak", the ultimate stalker anthem for the digital age.  With the tongue-in-cheek humor of a Nellie McKay, May lampoons both the obsessives in the crowd, and those who make themselves so available to be stalked.  "Bury My Troubles" is a pleasant little surprise hidden in the back half of the album, an intriguing blend of jazz, pop and swing that's quirky, sexy and fun without being over-the-top.  "Too Sad To Cry" is a blue dirge in a stylistic arrangement that includes the martial rhythms of a funeral march.  Imelda May tops it all off with a great, pure vocal effort that will raise your respect for her and cement your intent to run right out and buy anything she releases. 

May turns for home with the country-tinged pop of "I'm Alive", even enticing a vague Caribbean flavor out of the mix.  "Let Me Out" is a catchy, urgent and upbeat bit of fluff that's worth the aural effort, and leads into a brilliant cover of Soft Cell's "Tainted Love".  May's version is a bit grittier than the original, but work so well you'd swear she wrote it herself.  Mayhem closes with "Johnny Got A Boom Boom", an incredibly catchy bit of rockabilly that you won't be able to get out of your head.  Lyrically the song is pure fluff, but it's the sort of fluff that gets trapped in your head and rattles around for weeks.  May wrote this number early in her career, and first released it in Ireland and the UK back in 2009.  It's become a fan favorite, but never managed to make much of a stir on the charts.  The song is included here as an introduction to US audiences.

Imelda May has got it all.  Tremendous pop hooks, a stunning voice, a quirky, bigger-than-life persona and the ability to write songs that stick with you.  Mayhem is aptly named, running the gamut from sweet and sentimental ballads to pop insanity, all steeped in rockabilly, surf and classic singer/songwriter motifs.  Along the way, Imelda May shows the poise and humor of Nellie McKay, the ability to surprise you musically of Kate Miller-Heidke, and the pure star power of Madonna.  Get used to hearing the name Imelda May.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Imelda May at www.imeldamay.co.uk or www.myspace.com/imeldamay1.  Mayhem is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

Review: No - Paris-Chicago

No - Paris-Chicago
2009, Olivier Nataf

French singer-songwriter Olivier Nataf recently moved from France to Chicago, Illinois, celebrating with the release of Paris-Chicago. A mix of singer-songwriter pastiche, good old Chicago-style blues, soul, funk and Rock N Roll, Paris-Chicago is very familiar and very new all at once.

Grooving on a hot electric blues vibe, No creates a highly listenable and occasionally danceable album in Paris-Chicago. Opening with Laisser-Moi Passez, No kicks in a funky backbeat and a catchy melody to draw the listener's attention from the opening notes of the album. Nataf has a very pleasant voice and sounds more like a folk singer than a blues vocalist, but he makes the songs work very well. Paris-Chicago has a hot-n-cool feel to it, channeling a bit of B.B. King in the process. Plus En Enfant opens with a complex acoustic part and sticks with the acoustic gig throughout. Je Mais Que Tu Alors... Just Me sounds very familiar from the outset, borrowing the same chord progression and nearly the same style of Stray Cat Strut. My favorite song on the album is Les Vendeuses De Charme, with its classical guitar opening and reggae rhythms. Respect is a sweet sounding ballad and a great balance to the more upbeat material on Paris-Chicago for the first minute, before breaking into an upbeat rock tune. No closes out with two covers, a blues cover of Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground, which I liked, and a highly intriguing blues rendition of The Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams. This was the highlight of the album; a wholly unexpected and eye-opening interpretation that practically redefines the song.

No took a few listens. Paris-Chicago was one of those albums I didn't like much upon first listen, but it grew on me. My French isn't anywhere near as good as it once was as I just haven't used it in many years, so I can't really comment on the lyrical comment, but Paris-Chicago is a highly enjoyable listen. Be sure to say yes to No.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about No at www.myspace.com/nothefrenchsinger or http://www.website-no.com/. Currently, Paris-Chicago is available as a download only through No’s store, but will soon be available through other outlets and as a physical CD.

Review: Derek Jordan - Identify

Derek Jordan – Identify
2009, Derek Jordan

Derek Jordan comes to Los Angeles from Pittsburgh by way of Chicago. His debut CD, Identify, is entirely self-produced and self-funded. Starting out with a classic rock background and a modern rock education, Jordan exudes the confidence of a rock n roll star while writing about the ins and outs of the human psyche.

Identify starts out on a promising but familiar note. The hook underlying Goodbye Jupiter is practically the same rockabilly hook that runs throughout Stray Cat Strut. To open with something so blatantly familiar either calls for a formula that resides in offering familiar sounds and then taking them new places or just totally blowing the lid off the album. Jordan does neither, settling for a comfortable, vaguely angry white male blend of rock n roll. Jordan's voice is good but isn't particularly discernable from a host of other rock vocalists. His guitar playing is technically proficient but doesn't seem emotionally driven or profound. The songwriting is fairly standard issue rock material with one exception. Hold On Tight could be a moderate hit in the right market, but more importantly is very accessible and listenable with something like a pop sensibility to it. Otherwise, songs like Vaccine, War With Your Love and Living For Two all sound too much like stuff that comes and goes on the radio all the time.

Jordan shows flashes of brilliance with the guitar, but just doesn't seem to find the inspiration on Identify to really sell himself or the material. He's a strong performer with good skills, but just doesn't display the dynamic catalyst to make you seek him out.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Derek Jordan at www.myspace.com/derekjordanrock or http://www.derekjordanmusic.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Identify. You can also download the album from iTunes.