Customer Reviews

Between Me & The Wardrobe

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In the sleevenotes Herbert reflects " Although this is my third record, it should have been the first" I would concur with this.
When I interviewed her on the radio two years ago, off air she confided that the first album was not all as she had wanted it to be - too over-produced and not representative of what she was about. Having seen he play during that tour I could only agree.
This, then is intended to redress that balance, by placing her in a studio with the basis of the band that she tours with, added the sparsest of other touches and letting her get on with the business of presenting her own (rather unique) styling, songs and voice set against some really excellent arrangements. The quartet is Tom Cawley on piano (who co-wrote three of the songs), Sam Burgess on Bass, Dave Price on percussion and Mike Outram (with some help from Al Cherry) on guitar. If that sounds as though it's going to produce the usual quartet and voice album, it doesn't, the shadings are much more subtle.
Over arching this excellent background are these songs. Quirky is often used in a derogatory sense, but it isn't here- the songs have lines that jump into the next turnaround and skip to fit, but cover a range of topics which may or may not be personal, but which are with the right exposure likely to be covered by other artists.
My current favourites are "Lay you down", "Morning after" (Do I empathise with the sentiment- Oh yes!) and the magnificent "That's the kind of man" ( "I want him smart as a button - but not as smart as me").
I think you'll have gathered by now that I think that is something very special, by an artist who has the capacity to mature and continue to write interesting and challenging material.She'll be touring here to promote this, and I hope you get a chance to see her in the US in a suitably intimate setting. I'm sorry that you'll have to pay what might seem over the odds for this import, but I can assure you that it will be money well spent, and you can be in on the debut album of a real talent - even if it is her third.

I read complaints that the one star 'non-review' here 'downgrades' the star rating for Ms Herbert's warblings. On balance, though, the result, however 'unfairly' arrived at, does this recording justice. It is all unfailingly pleasant, and in tune, and there's nothing wrong with that. There is a certain tenderness in the singing that will be prove particularly agreeable to men of education and good will who are still living with their mothers. And (this is not exactly unimportant for this demographic) Ms Herbert looks very attractive and rather wistful on the cover. If you work in a hi fi store, this CD isn't nearly as good as 'Bittersweet and Blue' for demonstrating cheap hi fi.

Saw this album listed as #10 on the top ten jazz albums on an English Jazz site of the week of October 1, 2007.

Looked it up here on Amazon to hear the Gwyneth Herbert sound but alas, there are no sound samples of any of her albums. It is indeed unfortunate that artists or producers choose not to allow the public to hear how they sound. I have far too many music CD's I did not first sample and regretted purchasing. Fortunately, patience has replaced impetuousity.