For a while now Jess Morgan has been recognised has one of
the most talented young artists plying their trade on the acoustic
singer-songwriter circuit. In what is a somewhat crowded market this is no mean
achievement and the release of her third full length album will help cement
that reputation further. There is a neat symmetrical pattern between these
releases and the two year gaps have no doubt been filled with the many live
dates Jess plays. LANGA LANGA is very much in the style Jess has cultivated on
her previous records and evidences a career that continues to blossom.
This 43 minute album is a collection of 11 beautifully
crafted songs underpinned by a multi instrumental sound which is sufficiently
subtle to allow the elegant vocals to recount the vivid tales Jess wants to
share with her listeners. Whether wrapped around the cello, fiddle mandolin or
guitar, each song is tinged with an honest purity to provide a soft palatable
listening experience. Don’t expect your liaison with LANGA LANGA to be a short
term affair as the record demands not to be easily discarded and is best
enjoyed after multiple listens to tune into its acoustic vibes.
Of the tracks chosen for this record, two made their debut
on her mini EP release last year RICHER THINNER SMARTER. Apart from obviously
being known beforehand both these, ‘The
Missionary’ and ‘Modern World’, possess
valuable qualities to be among the better tracks on the album. The former was
clearly remembered from seeing Jess live for the first time last year and
hopefully will remain an integral part of her live show. However the stand out
song from the album is the delightful ‘Freckles
in the Sun’ which oozes with class and has a detectable country sound
within its boundaries. This song contains one of the album’s better chorus
hooks which are possibly an area for development in the future.
While her vocals and song delivery anchor Jess in the folk
world, there is a wider appeal to her music which attracts listeners who
perhaps have more interest in the Americana sound than one rooted in English traditional
song. This can only work in her favour and matches the contemporary aurora that
comes across in her music. Jess hails from Norwich but spends much of her time touring
in the true troubadour spirit and the Americana connotation has led to being
invited to play a showcase at this year’s AMA UK conference. www.jessmorgan.co.uk