Jenny Spear
Galaxies
Laughing Outlaw
A Shimmering Darkness a Bit Like Romantic Poetry Set to Music
Australia doesn’t normally rate very high in the worlds of Americana and Alt. Country; but over the years I’ve discovered some really rare treats; and Jenny Spear appears to be another name that I can add to that list.
There’s a shimmering darkness to opening song Always The River that caught my immediate attention a couple of weeks ago. I’m not sure if it was the brittle instrumentation or Jenny’s gorgeous voice; which sounds as if tragedy is never more than a stanza away.
As we all know, not every song has to be literal from start to finish; and that’s the beauty of this short EP; most songs sound a bit like romantic poetry set to music.
Track #2 Perfect Shade of Red starts with some incredibly clever acoustic guitar playing, that may even border on being Classical; especially so when Jenny’s winsome voice glides in like a Summer breeze; gently caressing the listener’s psyche in a way I would normally associate with someone like Fleet Foxes or Cowboy Junkies at their very best.
Raven’s Cry, is a tad more upbeat as the singer taps into her inner strength and wisdom on a harrowing tale of tragic love that is never destined to have a happy ending.
I guess that there’s a set of circumstances when these songs will be used as ‘background music’ … but I can’t think when; as they demand to be listened to; probably best on headphones too.
The mood certainly picks up on Stay In The Rain; but that’s only relative; as the velvety smoothness of the vocals and bass get to juxtapose with some delightful slide guitar as Ms Spear gets to tap a toe while deciding where this relationship is actually heading.
The title track; Galaxies has a beautifully long intro that leads into some very smoky and vulnerable vocals that could be mistaken for a re-mixed Dusty Springfield song circa A Very Fine Love in 1995.
As you’d sometimes hope; the best is kept for last; with another song that tips its hat in the direction of Dusty …… Alpha Romeo; which subtly tells a story about an ‘Alpha Male’ set to some clever instrumentation that falls on the right side of being kitsch but is saved by some cool playing on a Gretsch guitar if I’m not mistaken; and therefore is by far; my Favourite Song here.
Looking at her website it appears that Jenny Spear has been quite prolific over the years ….. so maybe I (and you?) will only have to scratch the surface to discover some more gems.
Released April 26th Australia
Released May 20th The R.O.W
BUY DON’T SPOTIFY
https://jennyspear.bandcamp.com/
The Rocking Magpie 