Originally published by L.S. Media. December 21st 2011.
L.S. Media Rating ****
No matter how many times you may think to yourself you’ve heard all the good albums of the year, there is always going to be one that you receive in a brown dusky envelope that adds just that little thrill down your spine when you hear it.
Jo McCafferty has form though. I shouldn’t be surprised as the gentle guitar playing and bluesy voice comes through the speakers reminds me of why I fell in love with her music around the time of Papercuts and Lime in 2004. Although produced in 2010 Overtaking on a Bend has all the hallmarks that fans of Jo would associate with the bundles of talent she has at her disposal. It’s not surprising to learn that her musicianship has not gone unnoticed over the years with the likes of Glenn Tilbrook, Midge Ure, John Young and Fish all having had the Scottish singer/songwriter as support.
Overtaking on a Bend is Jo’s first full non-acoustic album and even with the gear change being much in evidence, she retains the very high standards she has set herself since the stunning Radiaxial a decade ago.
The album itself is jam packed with cracking songs and some that seem more personal, more autobiographical in nature. Not that it should be an astonishing revelation as all artists, songwriters release nuggets of information throughout the course of their career. It’s one of the reasons people love what they do. It’s the brilliant way Jo does it, that makes the little hairs stand on end and wants you to hold the C.D. close to your chest and protect the way it makes you feel whilst listening.
Nowhere is this more palpable than on the track Holes, it has the feel of whimsy and charm but holding the dark place Jo must have been in whilst writing the album. So comfortable does it feel that you may have to listen to it a second time, straight after the first to be honest, to make sure you understand the darkness. It’s mind-blowing and genuinely affectionate but just with the subtle hint of despair that you will feel for Jo.
Each song is carefully crafted to be more than just the result of a session in the studio. This is Jo at her very best, superb writing alongside some wonderfully weaved music all intertwined with stories and Jo’s stunning voice that grabs your heart and soul.
An album of pure quality and I can only kick myself for not having heard it before now.
Ian D. Hall