JAMIE DRAKE

JAMIE DRAKE When I Was Yours (Self-released)

This LA-based singer-songwriter reckons that music and songwriting is in her genes, bequeathed to her by her late father. Which probably accounts for Drake’s classicist country-folk-roots approaches. Her songs are deceptively simple but they do contain that mystical quality us music writers like to call “soul”. An indefinable sense to discern art from commerce.

So, mercurial songs like the defiant Plumbline, the ethereal Beautiful and the spectral Being Alone recall the past and present poles of the rustic cow-blues of Bob Dylan (circa John Wesley Harding) and J Tillman. More traditional folk songs like Could It Be You?, Enough and Daydream provide the earthy anchor for Drake’s occasional flights of fancy.

I am rather impressed by the fact that there’s very little on this album that sounds remotely “modern” and would sit nicely amongst a playlist of Judee Sill, Karen Dalton, Sandy Denny and the Roches. An accomplished album from an intriguing singer-songwriter. One to keep an eye (and ear) on.

Official Site

[amazon-product alink=”0000FF” bordercolor=”000000″ height=”240″]B0042B4OLY[/amazon-product]Jamie Drake will be performing at TAB tonight and tomorrow night 8.30pm and 10.30pm.