Reviews
Artist:Jackie Oates
Album:The Violet Hour
Label:Chudleigh Roots
Tracks:13 + bonus track
Rating:*****
Website:http://www.jackieoates.com
I don't think I've anticipated an album as much as this one since the calender clicked past 2000. I became aware that Jackie was recording a new album in the middle of 07 and had been looking forward to it ever since. In the meantime Jackie won the 2007 Fatea Tradition Award and was short listed for the BBC Radio Two Horizon Award. Through no fault of Jackie's, this album had a lot to live up to before it dropped through the letter box of the Fatea office.
Thankfully the album not only lives up to those expectations, it exceeds them. The prime reason for that is Jackie's exquisite interpretation of song, both as a musician and vocalist. You get the feeling that she lives every note, vowel and constanent. That when Jackie sings about characters in both the 1st and 3rd person, she knows them personally and has probably had tea with them. She gets so deep into the songs to make you believe them.
The beating heart of this album is the West Country, it provides the bulk of the songs and the musicians. Most of the songs are traditional, drawn on from Devon and Dorset songbook, some performed by singers close to Jackie's current home in Exeter. The same is true of the musicians and it's an impressive cast, Phil Beer, who also produced the album, Jim Causley, Tim Van Eyken, Steve Turner, Andy Clarke and James Dumbleton. From further afield come her brother, Jim Moray and fellow former Winterset and pianist Belinda O'Hooley.
It really is an impressive cast, it allows Jackie to work her magic as part of a duo, trio and larger group. Her confidence in her playing, across a number of fiddles and violas, as well as shurti box and recorders, give passion and depth, but ironically, given the impressive musicianship on the album, the standout track amongst a quality cast of songs, is vocal only.
Jackie is being compared to the great Shirley Collins, a single listen to "Billy Reiley" will explain why. I've heard it a good number of times and it still sends shivers down my spine. A listen to another track, "Richie's Lady", evokes favorable comparison with Kirsty MacColl during her stint with the Pogues.
That Ms Oates should have developed into such a quality vocalist shouldn't surprise those that have followed Jackie's career. Her debut album, "Jackie Oates" made the Mojo Top 10 for 2006 and saw her short listed for Fatea Female Vocalist of the year.
"The Violet Hour" is lighter in both tone and content than it's predecessor. That's not to say that it's avoided a healthy dose of melancholia, it doesn't. Traditional folk themes of life, death, sex, illegitimacy are all covered, on one occasion in the same song, but there are also songs about true love and fair lady won to add a balance.
The key is that you feel songs along with Jackie. The arrangements, production and performance, all conspire to make you feel that you are in the room with Jackie and co. Almost at times afraid to cough lest you interrupt them.
"The Violet Hour" is a truly remarkable album, albums like this only come along once in a very long time, the closest I can remember to getting a buzz like this was when I first heard "Freedom & Rain" by June Tabor and the Oysterband. This is a serious contender for album of the year and it's still only March.
2008 looks like being Jackie's year to set the folk world and hopefully a wider slice of the music scene afire.