April Showers Bring May Albums

IRELAND | Blues/Soul/Rockabilly

Small in stature, but with pipes larger than life, Imelda May is far from a musical newcomer, with well over a decade of musical experience, producing and songwriting. I was recently blown away by her latest album release thanks to my brother’s insistence that I listen to it immediately. Why was I blown away, you ask? Allow me to explain.

You see, years ago, I had caught her performing live on Later… with Jool’s Holland and thought that her music was new and fun since it was rockabilly, a genre that is quite rare when it comes to popular or mainstream music. But sadly, I lost track of her career over the years, not meaning to discount her talent, but simply forgetting about her. I had no idea quite the depth of her artistry until I listened to her album Life Love Flesh Blood, which just released this past April. It is a soulful masterpiece from beginning to end – Her voice, the instrumentation, melodies, lyrics… all of the above.

She has always had a powerful voice, but this album undoubtedly utilizes every gift she has in her arsenal. It has a little something for everyone, from the James Bond-esque Levitate to the gospel-driven song When It’s My Time, which features the piano maestro himself, Jools Holland! A star-studded team backed her on this album including Jeff Beck and producer T Bone Burnett, but the substance is all Imelda to the core, who took a step away from her past rockabilly style to a blank slate of songwriting freedom. [2]

With no genre strings attached, she created her most mature album to date. Lyrically, it is an extraordinary example to songwriters who long to be storytellers above all else. And that’s no surprise since some of her greatest draws of musical inspiration are Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, masters of the craft. Emotion beckons throughout her songs, and that is probably what draws me to this album the most. It’s sultry and sensual, sad and sorrowful, but not in a bad way − in a way that keeps your ears tingling for more. [1]

Bewilderingly enough, there is not a pompous bone in Imelda’s body, as can be seen in interviews while she is asked about her many celebrity friends, including but not limited to Bono, Ronnie Wood, and Robert Plant. The amount of humility she possesses speaks volumes about her character and you can also sense a certain amount of strength about her, which is truly and utterly inspiring. Or rather, maybe it’s a persevering nature within her that has moved her toward the point of her current success. Whatever it may be, her music is straight-up raw and beautiful, full of her bared soul throughout each line and should be listened to with care in order to take it all in.

This seasoned veteran is currently on tour in the states until June 30th, so be sure to catch a show if she happens to be in your area!

For More Imelda May
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References
[1] The Up Coming interview
[2] Sacks & Co.

Listen To
Sixth Sense
The Girl I Used To Be

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