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Review: 'KELLY, JADEA'
'Clover'   

-  Label: 'Darth Jadea'
-  Genre: 'Pop' -  Release Date: 'March 2014'-  Catalogue No: '270169'

Our Rating:
'Clover' is Jadea Kelly's latest album, her third, which follows on from 2010s 'Eastbound Platform'. It marks a departure from her previous work, as it moves away somewhat from the country folk sound in favour of a darker, more orchestrated music which features synths and synth bass, evoking a lot more atmosphere which suits Jadea's voice perfectly.

The album features eleven tracks and was recorded at the Woodshed Studio in Toronto. The tracks touch upon the relationship between farming and working as a musician, as Jadea's family have been in the farming business for three generations. The album is in fact titled 'Clover' after her grandfather's farm.

The first thing that strikes you upon playing this CD is the clarity of Jadea's voice, part Kate Bush, part Lana del Rey, this is a voice that really grabs you and makes you really want to listen.

The opening track 'Wild West Rain' is a mix of guitar and muted keyboards in the background, which slowly builds allowing Jadea's vocals to soar in this tale of love and rejection: - “I held your heart like a wandering train, your love comes and goes like wild west rain/ Though it's hard, you've gotta know, pain teaches your heart to grow/ Though it's hard, you've gotta see, it's all I can do to breathe.”

Tracks like 'Lone Wolf' come across as moody atmospheric alt.pop, with a synth bass building a doomy rhythm. The lyrics appear to juxtapose the life of the lone wolf with that of the singer: -
“Lone wolf don't hunt like he used to. Sinks his teeth with a jaw loose/ She served you tea in her bedroom shawl. Didn't pray for the sound of the sea at all.” The character in this song is far, far from home on their travels and has “Lost sight of the land and the sound of the trees.”

'You Had Me' is a slow country ballad that builds and really showcases what a good singer Jadea actually is. The soft stark guitar and keys arrangement complements her vocals perfectly.
“Baby you had me through the day, won't weather this ache in my bones/ Hold her 'goodbye' and keep it inside. Safe 'long your shore through the night.”

This is an album that bristles with emotional power and strength, and one that any fan will want to add to their collection. With 'Clover' Jadea Kelly has upped the stakes considerably. This will be hard to beat.
  author: Nick Browne

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KELLY, JADEA - Clover