/Essex Talent Review

Essex Talent Review

Never mind Britain’s Got Talent, today it’s time to celebrate the veritable feast of music that’s coming from my home county of Essex. Taking a break from C.D reviews, I came across an interesting mix of songs, all of which are well worth a listen!

 

Lizzie B: Outta My Head

 

Lizzie B has been a regular on the live circuit in London and the South East for many years now. During one appearance at the Brentwood festival in 2007, performed a song called Outta My Head. This song has since made it into my inbox and is my first online pick for this month. Lizzie shows on this song that she’s very comfortable with her guitar, and knows how to use it to write a good melody. This in turn adds a melancholy feel to the song, which Lizzie’s vocals fits in with well.

 

Verdict: A song with quite a bit of charm, that’s worth listening out for at Lizzie’s gigs. Visit www.myspace.com/lizziebmusic for more tracks.

 

Tall Dark Friend: Satellites

 

Tall Dark Friend is one Jordan Gray, a singer-songwriter from Essex who I’ve recently discovered via unsigned chart.com, where he is very popular among the talent signed up to the site. I clicked on the track Satellites, and from this alone it’s instantly clear that he’s no run of the mill musician/keyboard player. The song starts off with a piano intro, and then unexpectedly, launches into a fast paced electro/dance arrangement, which no doubt would go down well in the clubs. Some parts of the vocal reminded me a little of Michael Jackson, which isn’t a bad thing, though the pace of the words was a little hard to keep up with in these parts, and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the sudden burst of eccentric laughter. Perhaps he needs to rein himself in at times, though all things considered, the song is strong lyrically, and has a quite powerful beat.

 

Verdict: If you’re looking for something different, then I’d suggest checking out Tall Dark Friend. This song is interesting on several levels, and probably just a small hint of the musical ideas he has going on inside his head. Visit http://www.unsignedchart.com/profile/TallDarkFriend for more songs and information.

 

Lee Bennett: Stranger In This Land

 

I first heard Lee perform this song at a gig in Chelmsford, and to me it’s a song that belongs in the live arena, as the recording doesn’t quite do it justice. That said, it’s still a stand out track among Lee’s Myspace recordings. The melody is quite simply beautiful, in a piano led pop style. Lee seems comfortable with this style of song and puts in a competent vocal performance, but as I said before, you really need to hear this song live, it’s entirely captivating!

 

Verdict: One of Lee’s strongest tracks, and one that really comes into its own when performed live. There’s definite commercial appeal here.

 

The Library Suits: Modern Life

 

The Library Suits is a band I’ve seen on many gig listings, which eventually made me curious enough to check them out on Myspace. Apart from the fact that they come from Chelmsford, which is always a bonus, these guys can certainly produce a good song. Modern Life is a strong and infectious slice of indie rock, with definite sing-a-long, toe tapping appeal. I have to say it’s always good to hear good singers in a rock band as well, which makes the song very easy to listen to. Listen out for the lyrical content too, there’s a certain appeal in phrases like ‘modern life is a speeding bullet’.

 

Verdict: I’ve heard quite a few indie/rock bands that don’t quite do it for me, but these guys were surprisingly good. Check them out on www.myspace.com/thelibrarysuits, and look out for more online picks coming soon to music.co.uk