Janet Devlin. Emotional Rodeo.
She topped the charts as a shy 16-year-old in the 2001 X Factor ensemble. But fleeting overnight fame was sadly followed by a downward spiral of depression, addiction and suicide attempts.
Thirteen years later, older and more self-assured, County Tyrone-born Janet Devlin has found her forte in country music.
Catchy, heartwarming songs like Cigarette Sweets come with banjos and more than a hint of Dolly Parton. ‘Now there’s baccy in my lungs, instead sugar on my tongue,’ she sings.
Janet’s voice has warmth and nuance; her honest and witty lyrics channel her own experiences. ‘Time supposed to heal ya, I bruise like a peach,’ she confesses.
Country Singer, an upbeat foot-tapper, tells of being used by an unnamed man – ‘a washed-up used-to-be, still wants to be a star’ so unlovable ‘even his dog, it ran away’.
Janet outs herself as both bipolar and a self-styled emotional rodeo on the rockier title track, telling a would-be lover: ‘Giddy up, get in the saddle/Think you’re tough, well baby get straddled/Hold on tight cos I got the reins/Spurs and ropes, and leathers and chains…’
Co-written with Ben Earle (The Shires) and Kaity Rae, the song mixes Americana with Irish fire.
Devlin recorded her fourth album at Martina McBride’s studio in Nashville drawing on a crack team of country collaborators including Charlie McCoy and Rob McNelley.
There are touching ballads, country rockers and an abundance of fiddles. Her vocals are at their delicate best on the melancholy Burden and she relives her personal hell on the moving Whiskey On My Breath.
Tired of alcohol, she’s on her knees every night, ‘Praying the good Lord sets me free…If I could do life differently, there’s so much that I’d rather be.’
On the strength of this, there’s much she still will be.
LiVES. Let Them Eat Cake.
Rising from the ashes of indie rockers The Sea, the Kent-based trio play brooding White Stripes-influenced rock n roll with punk energy and hard rock finesse. Stand-out songs include the swaggering Come Together and darker, driven rocker Cancelled, reflecting their disdain for online intolerance and all shades of modern politics.
Linkin Park. From Zero.
The multi-platinum LA band blasted their way back into the Top 5 with come-back single The Emptiness Machine. Singer Emily Armstrong (Dead Sara) has replaced the late Chester Bennington but songs like Heavy Is The Crown show their rap-rock mix still packs a Hulk-like punch. Pop ballad Over Each Other displays Emily’s range. A powerful return.
Melody Gardot. The Essential Melody Gardot.
This 25-track comp is drawn mainly from the US jazz singer’s six studio albums. As well as blissful favourites like Morning Sun, there are rare treats such as her haunting half-spoken cover of Elton John’s Love Song, and unreleased gems like her live Spanish take on tragic ballad La Llorona. Gardot channels pain into beauty.
