This evening saw JAYMAY take to the stage as the support act for ELVIS PERKINS. However, as this writer was blown away so much, that we felt she deserved a review all of her own...
Style was, she was impressive - opening her One Woman Show clad top to toe in black with a matching beenie hat that was, frankly, worthy of a cat-burgling pixie.
Also noteworthy were the two splashes of colour first in her cherished red de capo and secondly in the red jewels sparkling from her earings, presumably from the previous nights raid. Ok, ok, so this isn't Vogue, but it added to the effect!
Anyway, as soon as Jaymay began the audience was immediately captivated, and we soon realised that yes, she had come to kidnap our ears and our hearts. Swoon. Her strong easy vocals and gentle guitar accompaniment erased all surplus noise in the room. With every song she sang more hummable and better than the last, she was greeted with a growing hush.
Jaymay is a magpie storyteller, collecting a kaleidascope of colours from her life in things that stand out with an abstract emotional attachment. "I watched you closely / I saw you look away / You're eyes are either gray or blue / I'm never close enough to say"...
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Other colour-inspired songs included the title track "Sea Green, See Blue", notable for being the only song I can think of that clearly determines the beginning and end dates of a relationship to a great tune: "September second to april thirteen / But who's counting?"
Not to be outdone by the trappings of a single guitar, her vocal loquacity extended to improvised jazz trumpet and what can best be described as a Crouching Tiger cello as beautifully orchestrated outros.
Her fresh style draws comparisons with fellow New Yorker, Regina Spektor, for her easy grasp of strong vocal melodies and sweet lyrical offerings, but theres a catchability to her songs and straightforward presence that's more in keeping with Brandi Carlisle. All excellent stuff.
I could go on, but you really need to hear her for yourself. Go! Buy the album!
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