Josephine – I Think It Was Love (Ark Recordsings)
Let me be clear from the start, Josephine is incredibly talented and has a phenomenal voice. Old beyond it’s years, it holds an inherent wisdom. You would be forgiven for thinking you were listening to a seasoned jazz or soul singer. Silky, smooth and seductive this voice was made for this genre.
But this EP is not perfect. There are some things that just don’t work. One Princess of Cheetham Hill is a mixed bag to be sure. Predominantly jazz influenced, the traditional Spanish guitars and melody take you to a back street cafe in Barcelona or Madrid. However, the story of Cheetham Hill isn’t communicated well enough to make it romantic or engaging and the disjoined melody makes it difficult to listen to. It’s actually a real shame. The music has depth. One Song the a capella closer passed me by all together.
The success of this EP rests solely on the opening track, I Think It Was Love. This song doesn’t just give you a nice song that make the rest of the EP bearable, it gives you a song that has the potential to be a real chart hit. It could sit happily along side the likes of Duffy but would offer real authenticity.
Believe me when I tell you it is one of the best songs I’ve heard in a long time. It is fundementally a classic soul song. Gentle double bass and percussion with an African twist is paired with a melody that is simply hypnotic. Lyrically simple but with a class, it is a songwriter’s song. You could seamlessly put this on any soul/jazz compilation. Think Nina Simone and Dusty Springfield. For all our Manchester followers, think The Tiger Lounge. I’ve have this music for approximately 109 minutes and I Think It Was Love has repeated more times than I can count.
This song is a real find. The EP as a whole is not. My recommendation would be this, purchase I Think It Was Love from iTunes and give a casual listen to the rest. It will be the best 99p you’ll spend it a long time. If a full record is made and it is of the standard of I Think It Was Love, I will be the first one to buy it.
On iTunes now and released in full on August 23rd on Ark Recordings.
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