Customer Reviews

Oh My Girl

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

...there's not really an apt categorization for this kind of music, though I understand the necessity of description.

There are some applicable adjectives, though...spooky, spare, echoey, dark, moody, elegaic. Hmmm...that list kind of understates the LIFE in these songs, and doesn't convey the satisfaction derived from the great (though not showy) guitar work. I don't know how good a guitar player Wandscher is, compared to others, but his guitar sure has a lot of perfect notes in it, and he finds them all. (In this respect, it recalls some of the old Neil Young albums.)

I somehow *ahem* got the "You Are Not Gotten Here" track on my computer, and listened the hell out of it, and started to wonder if the REST of their work could possibly sound like that. It does, and it's good. The songs are basically folk songs, and the alt-country labels come from the instrumental lineup of twangy electric and fingerpicked acoustic guitar, viola, pedal steel and upright bass. This is perfect for the songs. Jesse Sykes was quoted as saying that when she first started playing with Wandscher, she felt he was 'building a house the songs could live in'. Very apt.

If you can handle minimalist or downtempo music, if you don't need every song you hear to effect some 150db hormonal change, if your emotional palette extends beyond sex/aggression/coolness*, this is wonderful stuff. Get it.

*-yes, I'm aware those are not actually emotions. Don't blame ME, I'M not the 18-year-old baggypantser listening to cookie-cutter corporap.

You might hear echoes of Janis Joplin, a quiet Lucinda Williams, Margo Timmins and Cowboy Junkies, or Jim White. Sykes also sounds a little like Beth Orton stranded in a little western town on the prairie with nothing to eat but peyote. These are just some of the musical references, but hopefully convey the ambience of this album. Jesse Sykes has a sound that blends a bunch of different influences, ultimately making her own sound. It's mesmerizing, intimate, intense late night music. Great CD.

The music is spellbinding. Smoky vocals, plucked acoustic guitar underpinnings, melodious, twangy reverb laden electric guitars, and enchanting harmonies. More accessible with a somewhat warmer feel and a bit quicker pulse than the debut masterpiece Reckless Burning. The pop leanings of Tell The Boys, with a chorus so infectious it should be quarantined, is likely to garner plenty of play on college radio. Fans of Neko Case and Oh Susanna will likely love this.

Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter is currently my favourite band (or should I say my favourite singer backed by an extremely good band?). The song that put the whole thing in motion is "Lonely Still", [...](I hope it has the same effect on you). Riffs by twangy guitars open the song and set the tone for the 5min. dark and atmospheric musical experience.
After nearly a minute, the husky voice of Jesse joins in and blends perfectly with the ambience the music's been building up. She sings: "I came from the Great Lakes and I watched them turn dry; the sky turned black and I cried". Dark and atmospheric (both in and out of metaphor) indeed.
Well, I'm dwelling on "Lonely Still", but this is the archetype of how Jesse builds her songs: long instrumental intro (usually by guitar and, more restrained, viola; "House by the Lake" is an exception, with a banjo opening) before her voice comes in and takes centre stage. She hypnotizes you with evocative words, slowly repeated over and over till the end of the track. (Take notice: there are always few words in the songs, despite the fact that they often last more than 5 minutes).
I'm reviewing "Oh, My Girl", but it could be "Reckless Burning", since the two albums cover the same turf. Jesse found her niche in a slow, dark and algid brand of alt-country and is exploring it in detail. It can't last forever, so I'm expecting major changes from her next release. But for the time being I'm revelling in the details: a sprinkling of banjo here, a chord progression there, and so on.
I particularly love "Troubled Soul" (the refrain "no way around this" pops up when I have problems at work), "The Dreaming Dead" (the intro reminds me of "Pulp Fiction"; it must be a song in the soundtrack, I think), the title track (brilliant the verse "Is all the world's fuckery" and the accompaniment of viola and mandolin in the chorus) and "House by The Lake" (the sudden change of rhythm that introduces "Baby, it's time to go"). But all the songs are worth an attentive listening (with headphones on, if possible).
A sensual singer, a crew of first-rate musicians and ten wistful songs: if you like the recipe, then give this album (and/or the previous one) a try.

I've enjoyed listening to this album. It reminds of the slower material on the first Concrete Blonde album. I tend to frame music in soundtrack context. This album would be perfect driving music for the cast of Carnivale as they drive through hot, dusky Dust Bowl wastelands on their way to the next struggling small town, running from old demons and meeting new ones at every stop. OK, that's a little melodramatic, but the tunes are definitely moody, and a full album's listen in one sitting will definitely start to wear on your psyche. The vocals are beautiful, the guitar work haunting. I wish they would have experimented with some different pacing (the same beat got monotonous after several songs), but that's a small complaint for a well-crafted piece of work.

So I've listened to this CD continuously for two weeks and I still can't get enough. I find myself sitting in the garage at night, still listening to it in my car. I hit the replay button so often on my iPod whenever I shuffle over to one of the cuts from this CD that the machine is starting to list to the left.

If you love the Cowboy Junkies, Mazzy Star and/or Chris Issak you might find yourself mesmerized by Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter. I love the mixture of Jesse's husky voice (makes me want to take up smoking again) and the pleading sound of the backing guitars (remember Robert Plant's "Big Log?"). The voice and the guitars combine into a heartbreaking beauty, reflecting the sound of sadness and loss.

I've read others compare Jesse to Lucinda Williams (I love Lucinda Williams, by the way, but I think she just likes me), but I think you'll find her voice more like Margo Timmins' voice on "Blue Guitar."

Look, if you have a spare $20, blow it on "Oh, My Girl." You can do without a latte for a couple of days, but once you hear this CD you won't be able to put it away. Trust me. Have I ever misled you before?

I first heard of Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter thanks to the "Morning Becomes Eclectic" show on KCRW (over the Web). The song was "Troubled Soul" and it was a mesmerizing piece. In fact most of the songs here have a haunted quality to them that you can't shake. Tracks 2 through 6 are brilliant, especially the one two punch of "Troubled Soul" and "The Dreaming Dead".

The production is practically flawless. Phil Wandscher's electric guitar is so expressive, it's like a living, breathing entity. In fact, because of this my only quibble is that I wish that the acoustic guitar would be turned up a bit on a few of the tracks.
It seems to disappear in the mix.

Most of the previous reviews are spot on. I'd agree with the opinion that the album could use a couple of more numbers like "The Dreaming Dead" or "Tell the Boys", something with a little bounce to them. But overall the album works. It's artists like Jesse Sykes that confirm my belief that great music is out there if you just look hard enough. This is a perfect album to listen to in the evening or late night with the lights turned down or off (or a candle on or two) and a drink in hand. Enjoy.

I first heard this cd album after downloading it off the net. what followed was beautifully crafted melodies accompanied with a husky female voice. Really soothing songs which create a warm environment inside you. The second 'you are not gotten here', with heart breaking guitar licks and violin accomanpaniments. Overall, the cd has brilliant tracks. I'd recommend you to go out and buy it(like i did after hearing it twice), but only if u like soothing slow and soft melodious tracks. Oh, My girl is a masterpiece

A glimpse of the sweet hereafter is indeed offered up in this haunting, mesmerizing, surreal effort from Jesse Sykes and the band. Jesse's vocals are breathy and achingly call to you, but without any nuance of desperation. Phil Wandscher weaves a dreamlike world that would make Salivador Dali blush with envy with his polished and effortless delivery.

The first six tracks are the best, beginning with the title cut, Oh, My Girl. The Dreaming Dead is my favorite cut currently, although it changes week to week. In this beautiful pleading prayer, Jesse offers that you may "Turn up the future, Turn off the Past, Only in your arms, Will this fire last. What ever I did Lord, I would do again, Oh what did I have then?". And Jesse sells it with a sultry energy that's pure pleasure to imbibe.

I've just ordered up their first effort, "Reckless Burning" and if it's half as good as this one, my CD player will be amply engaged for some time to come. I highly recommend this CD.

Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter is slow, dirge-like alt.country - you can practically smell the dirt road after a humid summer rain in a drought-stricken county. Sykes second release, Oh, My Girl, is languorous and consistent. That's to say that the pace doesn't alter more than a few degrees from leisurely. Which makes for tough listening - it's a slog to get through all ten songs in fifty-two minutes. Too bad, because the songs are all pretty excellent, with special mentions to the haunting "The Dreaming Dead" and the homoerotic title track. Sykes has a dusty voice perfect for this music - a bit arid, very erotic. Yet much as I like this record, I hope somebody lights a fire under her ass next time - I bet she'd make a thrilling down'n'dirty screamer.