The market may be getting a little crowded with male/female acoustic
folk duos but if everybody moves up a little, there is room for Edinburgh based
outfit The Jellyman’s Daughter. While your search for electric influence will
be futile, splendid harmonies are aplenty as well as luscious individual vocal
pieces primarily from co-member Emily Kelly. What makes this duo stand out is
the prominent role for Graham Coe’s cello and this is a particularly brave move
for an instrument which can have a somewhat solemn feel to it when exposed. However
The Jellyman’s Daughter succeeds in shaping their songs around the sound and
exploiting its mood in an appealing way.
If The Black Feathers head the UK march to fill the finally
deceased Civil Wars gap, then The Jellyman’s Daughter are not too far behind
and now have a debut self-titled full release to chart their drive towards wider
recognition. Their path to me was supporting Samantha Crain at a recent
Edinburgh gig and it didn’t require too much effort to tune into the talents of
this duo. While the stage presence relies on the beauty of the vocals and the
impact of the cello, they have invested in additional banjo, fiddle, mandolin
and double bass to give the recorded songs a fuller feel leading them further
down their beloved bluegrass path.
Of the album’s eleven tracks, nine are self-penned originals
with the two remaining numbers possessing an intriguing existence. Instruments
are almost ditched for the duo’s rendition of the traditional song ‘Darling Corey’ leaving the vocals to
flourish, while I challenge you to hear a more stripped back and alternative
version of ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ which
they pull off with immense courage. The originals leap at you right from the
first track with opening song ‘Blue
Lullaby’ endorsing the sound of The Civil Wars with a hint of blues faintly
adorning Emily’s vocals. Second track in ‘The
One You’re Leaving’ hits the right note in the melody stakes and makes full
use of the banjo introduction.
Initial listens to the album throw up a couple of stand-out
tracks with probably the haunting and mysterious ‘Come Back to Me’ just shading the Americana influenced ‘Carolina’ and the band’s love of old
time mountain music. This style was a perfect fit for The Jellyman’s Daughter
to be invited to perform at this year’s Southern Fried Festival in Perth and
further events south of the border would also embrace their style. ‘Anna’ is the track subject to a little
video promotion and is one of two on the album to feature a slither of fiddle.
The other is ‘Little Child’, a laid
back number allowing Emily’s vocals to prosper and float in a haze of elegance.
‘All That’s Been’ heads
the three remaining tracks with Graham leading off this duet and is one of a
number of songs to replicate their stage presence and leave the session players
on one side for a moment. ‘Slow Burn’
is an appropriate name for a track that does struggle to make an impact amongst
the meatier songs on the album while ‘Seeing
Red’ has a greater appeal with only double bass accompanying Emily and
Graham.
Now that you have made room for the Jellyman’s Daughter in your
listening repertoire, taking on board their semi-unique style will enhance your
appreciation of acoustic roots music in the traditional folk and Americana
style. Reviewed on the day of their referendum vote, this debut album reflects
well on Scotland’s wealth of exportable talent, whether or not south of the
border becomes an export market.
www.jellymansdaughter.com