Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Whatever the reason, whatever the incentive or the drive, eventually we must find a way to live our dreams, to do the things we have long held dear in the secret chamber of our heart and to live each moment that comes of the realisation of fulfilment. Whatever the spur, it makes you appreciate the moment and for some it can change their lives; This Girl This Woman is for half the population the dawning of contentment and for the other half, arguably a mantra to champion those in your life to achieve their dreams.
Jude Adams lives and breathes that mantra, the song of the persistent enjoyment and in a voice that is sincere, beautifully carried and with the edge of a period in time in which pop music from these shores first had true meaning. This Girl This Woman is her tribute to those times of long held dreams, the girl she was and the woman, the performer, she has allowed herself to become.
The lyrics are like silk, they weave comfortably throughout the album and the energy they direct is one of gratification, of the longing being released and moved. It is the satisfaction that all those who believe that the time will eventually come when their voice is heard and it revels in its happy state of glory. At times the lyrics overwhelm, the back story of the way they form fully clothed in the world revealing the ache, perhaps of exposure, perhaps of love, and it is one the listener must hold close and with purpose.
Throughout the album Jude Adams feels as though she is speaking directly to you, the fourth wall of the audio sensation broken as she gathers momentum and the spirit of those that urged her on and those that inspired her taking shape and poise.
In tracks such as That’s What The Whisky’s For, Soaking All The Blues Away, the excellent Don’t Judge Me No More and the delightful Me and Mrs Peel, Jude Adams captures every note with the voice of fun, enlightened pleasure and the crafted domain of someone living life. This Girl This Woman is grown and dominant, a moment in which music is proved to be for all who wish to grasp its force.
Ian D. Hall