Although she was discovered in the same Pembrokeshire area, and launched through a similar indie label, and partnered with the same acclaimed producer, don't call the 20-year-old Jodie Marie the “new Duffy.”
Even though thta would not be a bad thing, personally I'm a big fan of Duffy.
Despite the presence of former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler on board, her debut album, Mountain Echo, has little in common with her fellow Welsh songbird’s Rockferry.
The jaunty brass-led Motown of “I Got You” and the string-soaked “Remember Me” could quite easily sit alongside the likes of “Mercy” and “Warwick Avenue,” but elsewhere, its 11 tracks provide a much more intimate and stripped-back affair inspired by the blues of Bonnie Raitt rather than the classic soul of the ’60s.
None more so than on the sparse acoustics of “Greeney-Blue,” a heartfelt apologetic love song which exposes Marie’s timeless vocals in all their surprisingly gritty glory, while the authentic barroom balladry of “On the Road” and the fragile melancholy of “What Would It Take?” further suggest her heart belongs to the Deep South.
If we didn't know that this young lady came from Wales, you would swear she is from the rural South in the USA.
This girl can definitely sang!!!
Be prepared to be moved. Here are a few live versions of some of the tracks on her new album. Comes out Monday.
On The RoadTaken from the album 'Mountain Echo' out early 2012
I Got Youfor Bands In Transit
Numb
Dandelion Wishes
