Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
It is the cry of the incessantly bored child, eager for the adventure to begin, impatient for the journey to end and the destination to appear, the sound from the back of the car getting louder, more edgy and irritated, and by the time the goal is in sight, the temper has got to the point where those around the child wish for nothing more than the day to end, never realising their own dreams and wishes.
As the child gives way, the phrase remains but this time it is in the mind of the artist, the purpose of their life, Are We There Yet?, are we finally relishing the prospect of having seen the target, taken aim and then realised that the bullseye is not just one but two, possibly three or even an abundance of wealth in the arrows that quiver restlessly. It is the wish of completion, of understanding that once one goal is met then the perimeters shift, the background melts away and the foreground is modified, reallocated and given new life.
What went before for the talented Jill Jackson is a lesson for us all, if we allow ourselves to be pushed into a state of being that we don’t want to be then the truth of our song is likely to slowly be taken for granted and altered by those who have little awareness of how we wish to sing. However under the wing of the phenomenal producer and recording artist Boo Hewerdine, Ms. Jackson releases her fifth album, Are We There Yet?, with great appreciation and the sense of a mesmeric love weaved carefully through each song.
Tracks such as the opener 1954, Worries, Sweet Lullaby (featuring Kathleen MacInnes), the excellent Hope and Gasoline, Dynamite and the sadness of Goodbye resonate and burn deeply into the psyche of the listener, and with accompaniment by Johnny MacKinnon on piano, Stuart Brown on drums, Euan Burton on double bass, Gustaf Ljunggren on clarinet and guitars, the tremendous Boo Hewerdine on guitars, backing vocals and production duty and the likes Tim Davidson, Chris Pepper and the aforementioned Kathleen MacInnes, Are We There Yet? changes the way you feel about the phrase and question, instead of being associated with the unresponsive and left out, what it becomes is answer to patient love, captivating and soulful.
Belief in one’s self is just as important of those around you, are we there yet? is the question that clings onto hope and faith and keeps us grounded.
Jill Jackson releases Are We There Yet? On the 18th May.
Ian D. Hall