Search - Eilen Jewell :: Sea of Tears

Five Star Torch and Twang ...

Steve Ford | Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia | 05/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sea of Tears delivers - big time - on the promise of 2007's Letters from Sinners and Strangers. Expanding on the nostalgic torch and twang of the previous album's Too Hot To Sleep, this is, for me, the best record of 2009. (It's not quite June as I write, but it will be tough to beat.)



While the style and sound consistently recall the 50's and early 60's, this is no rote imitation. Eilen Jewell has absorbed her influences and transcended them. Vocally, she walks a fine line of understatement without ever losing a smoldering intensity. She makes it sound easy, with the seemingly casual approach of someone singing on the front porch, and it's this combination of nonchalance and slow burn that make her voice so compelling. (She retains some of the careworn Billy Holliday style that marked Sinners and Strangers, but the influence is less noticeable with this material.)



Jewell is a major artist, as both a singer and songwriter. She wrote three quarters of the material, and there isn't a weak moment. The three borrowed songs are each a perfect fit. There's vintage Loretta Lynn ("The Darkest Day") and there's obscure Van Morrison ("I'm Gonna Dress In Black", a folky Them track, not a Morrison original). Most impressively, there's Johnny Kidd and the Pirates' "Shakin' All Over", a classic piece early British rock'n'roll that, in most hands, would be corny. Jewell's version is slinky and sexy, and sounds like it was written for Sea of Tears.



Where Sinners and Strangers showcased Jewell's versatility, Sea of Tears is a more appealing record for its consistency. (The band, guitarist Jerry Miller especially, can take their share of the credit for this.)



Not since Car Wheels on a Gravel Road can I recall a singer-songwriter in this broad genre hitting the mark with every track. At 30 Eilen Jewell is a complete talent but one whose best, hopefully, is yet to come. It remains to be seen whether she can emulate the stunning originality of the mature Lucinda Williams, but all the ingredients are there.



Tell your friends about Eilen Jewell. They'll thank you."

(4.5 stars). Effortless vocals, twangy guitars and an album

Colin Spence | Formby, UK | 05/03/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is my first album by Eilen Jewell. If you combined a less gravelly Lucinda Williams with the purr of Melody Gardot, you'd get something that resembles EJ's voice. She can be a pretty laid back singer too - often with a voice like honey laced with Valium. There's plenty of twang to the guitar playing on this album, but the 'twangyness' isn't over the top. Featured instruments include : 6 and 12 string electric guitar plus steel guitar (most tracks have short guitar solos); in addition to percussion, other instruments played are : acoustic guitar, acoustic and electric bass, and organ on two tracks. The playing throughout is outstanding.



EJ writes songs with melodies that gradually 'creep up' on you, and they have interesting lyrics which are not over-demanding for the listener. The songs are influenced by a variety of styles (rock, rock and roll, country, folk and blues), and I think most have a distinct 1950s/1960s feel to them, with some evoking a mood of 'weary melancholy'. 9 songs are written by EJ and 3 are covers of songs by Johnny Kidd, Them and Loretta Lynn.



Some comments about my favourite tracks :



RAIN ROLL IN - A mid-tempo song with a country/tex-mex flavour. The song's lyrics are a stark reminder of our own mortality; SHAKIN' ALL OVER - Great cover of a song which the British rock and roll act, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, took to the No.1 slot on the UK charts in 1960; FADING MEMORY - A song about a wasted relationship and the need to start again; sung to a classic slow doo wop rhythm - my favourite track; ONE OF THOSE DAYS - A fairly slow tempo song which paints a drab picture of life in smalltown America.



Other standout songs for me are a pair of bluesy numbers : I'M GONNA DRESS IN BLACK and FINAL HOUR. I find a couple of songs to be less memorable than the others, but I rarely skip them - that mellifluous voice and the band's vibrant playing keep my ears glued to the speakers.





'Sea of Tears' is an album of consistently good performances from Eilen Jewell and her musicians; it features attractive (if mostly sad) songs often delivered with a slight seductive edge to the vocals.

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