Melody Gardot : Worrisome Heart
Melody Gardot's debut recording came two years after she suffered a near fatal automobile accident, the differently able Gardot triumphing in accomplishing what many others, including her, could only dream of. Her innocence, sweetness, and light are very alluring, much like the persona of tragic songbirds Eva Cassidy and Nancy LaMott. Feel empathy for Gardot, but don't patronize her — she's the real deal much more that many of her over-hyped peers. "Quiet Fire" is definitely her signature tune, as it speaks volumes of where her soul is at, in a jazz/blues mode, yearning for true love. The title track follows a similar tack, a slow, sweet, sentimental slinky blues that will melt your heart. A finger-snapping "Goodnite" leaves you wanting that night to continue, but also exudes a hope that permeates the entire recording. She might be a bit down on men during the nonplussed "All That I Need Is Love," but her subdued optimism glows cool. "Sweet Memory" might possibly parallel Feist or perhaps KT Tunstall in a rural country mode, while "Gone" is clearly folkish, and the slow "Some Lessons" expresses a contemporary Nashville precept. It's true that tracks like Sweet Memory and Goodnite have similarities to Jones' standards but unsurprisingly this survivor also has an edge. Only in her early twenties, Gardot is still not fully recovered. She walks with a cane and is hypersensitive to light, noise and sound – not ideal for a professional singer.
The laid-back music behind Gardot is basically acoustic, incorporating hip jazz instrumentation, especially the trumpet of Patrick Hughes and occasional organ, Wurlitzer, or Fender Rhodes from Joel Bryant, but with twists including violin, lap steel, and Dobro. Likely to be placed in the Norah Jones/Nellie McKay/Madeleine Peyroux pseudo jazz/pop sweepstakes, Gardot offers something decidedly more authentic and genuine. She's one-upped them all out of the gate.
Song List:| 1. | Worrisom Heart | | | 2. | All That I Need Is Love | | | 3. | Gone | | | 4. | Sweet Memory | | | 5. | Some Lessons | | | 6. | Quiet Fire | | | 7. | One Day | | | 8. | Love Me Like a River Does | | | 9. | Goodnite | | | 10. | Twilight | |
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