Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter

It’s not often that one comes across a voice as haunting as Jesse Sykes’. With a deep, smoky resonance, that in some ways recalls Marianne Faithful, Sykes manages to convey even more wasted resignation, making this record an instant melancholia classic. Of course, her voice isn’t all there is; a crack band featuring the atmospheric guitar of Phil Wandscher and duelling viola and pedal steel, creates a perfect sultry backdrop for Sykes to work her magic. And song titles like "Troubled Soul” and "The Dreaming Dead,” need little more explanation to describe their dark content. But even amid such darkness, everything about Oh, My Girl is strangely comforting. There is a warmth to all the performances that will inevitably strike a nerve within anyone enamoured with the current new folk revival, not to mention anyone who simply appreciates pure emotional songwriting sung by someone who sounds as if she has truly lived it. Oh, My Girl is a gem waiting to be discovered.