Worry Dolls is the performing moniker of Rosie Jones and Zoe Nicol; two artists sharing common values and discovering that timeless knack of harmony presentation. Musically the pair keeps it straightforward with predominately Zoe’s banjo and Rosie’s guitar providing a steady backdrop to a sweet sounding vocal output. The latter element probably courts the most appeal alongside a priceless ability to write a bunch of songs, rich in integrity while possessing a popular streak. Folk, country and Americana are labels that may help them seek structural audiences, but neither really defines Worry Dolls in the strictest sense. A broad individual stamp and the smart utilisation of innate talent enable the music to blossom creating an enormous potential to reach out far from traditional bases.
When reviewing the album, the retro country pop sounding ‘Miss You Already’ was identified as one
of the standout songs. This evening it acted as the set opener, which is not
always the best position as often it takes a few numbers for the artists to get
into their stride. Rosie and Zoe were definitely into theirs by the time they
played ‘Bless Your Heart’, an
excellent ear pleasing track already siphoned off as a single. At this point we
began to learn about the Worry Dolls outside the songs, with the title of this
piece being adopted from a put down greeting they learned in Nashville. In fact
their time in Music City was the location where they recorded the album under
the esteemed stewardship of Neilson Hubbard.
Apart from Worry Dolls overseas excursions, another
preferred element of inter-song chat was a short introduction to most of the
songs including inspirations and topics. These included ‘Passport’, ‘Things Always Work Out’ and ‘Drive’. The audience were also briefed on a couple of artists who
they have worked with. One co-incidentally being Ben Glover, who had only just played
this venue the previous night and had co-written ‘Light Oh Light’ for the new record.
Another song that came across well was ‘She Don’t Live Here’, despite Rosie not having access to a piano
which graces the recorded version. The review indicated the essence of this
song to being a similar sound to Canadian folk stars Madison Violet; a
viewpoint that remains after listening to the live version.
No doubt there will be plenty of other opportunities to
catch Worry Dolls on the circuit as the year rolls out. Some of these may have
the good fortune of a full band in tow complete with pedal steel. In the
meantime Rosie and Zoe have the raw tools to take their songs far and wide. The
unassuming style, precisely pitched vocals and accessible song melodies will
not be short of admirers. The Kitchen Garden Café is used to distinguished
artists passing through and Worry Dolls didn’t disappoint.
