Generally, but not always, it is debut albums which are self-titled, and there must be a real reason for an artist to do that later in their career (unless of course you are Peter Gabriel and do that for your first four solo albums, just because). There is no hiding in the album artwork either, a photo of Jamie with her hair in the air which could have been taken by a friend as opposed to a highly posed and photoshopped image. Here is someone who is saying “it starts here, this is me”. Again, recorded in Nashville with producer Nash Chambers this album has seen a considerable step change since the last album, as while there was confidence in the last one, here we see her standing proud and powerful, knowing she has every right to be taken seriously within the genre as by now she has very much made it her own, moving a long way from where she started.
Arrangements are again incredibly important, with “Daddy Come Pick Me Up” containing wonderful harmony vocals, dramatic slide, fiddle, guitar and a rhythm section. But when I heard her play this last week it was just Jamie and her acoustic, which is the sign of a great song in that it can be performed in its purest original form and still have incredible impact while correct arrangements can take into areas not previously considered. As before, there are tones of early Stevie Nicks and The Chicks, with Jamie always at the centre of everything, her vocals and lyrics taking us along the way. It is difficult to imagine that this is material from a young woman from Aotearoa, as this feels as if it has come straight to us from a Tennessee native, not someone who has made that town very much her own.
Closing number “Boy Into a Man” is delicate, heartfelt, with Jamie and her acoustic accompanied by a plaintive fiddle, and is incredibly personal. Her vocals are never forced, just there, and one can imagine her sat on a stool in the studio, picking her guitar and singing the story into the air with Nash sitting quietly, not wanting to break the spell and hoping he is capturing this moment for everyone to hear. Other times it is far more in your face, or bluegrass, but there is something about that final song which leaves us feeling something special has ended and it takes moment to catch our breath and come back to reality. Jamie McDell is a very special performer and singer indeed, and I look forward to catching her again soon, and anyone into country music really needs to discover this woman who surely is going to make this album a stepping stone into becoming a household name.
Rating: 9/10
