There are hundreds of singer songwriters, who strum a guitar, sing out of tune and sound crap. From the first discordant chord to the last flat note, you want to dive under the table and cringe. There are those people who subscribe to the X Factor viewpoint and find the humiliation of untalented people as good sport, personally I find it a cheap trick. Artists (and wannabees) who place their music on line also run the risk of being laughed at and ridiculed. The talentless remain untalented and the creative and gifted, hopefully succeed.

Maddie Jones need not worry, her songs are lyrically strong and her voice has enough colour and warmth to fill in the whole picture. Empty/Full (Demo)’ and ‘Dirty Little Secret’ – listen to the words… isn’t love a tough cookie.

All the tracks are recorded in a rough and ready style, which makes them honest and truthful – excellent.

This is what is said:

This being Maddie’s key philosophy, she deliberately makes herself hard to pigeonhole into a genre. Her spirit is in her unusual voice, and song-writing style influenced by an assortment of musical approaches. The melodic emphasis of her songs is coupled with lyrics that are as memorable for their significance to many listeners as their cryptic obscurity. She can easily be seen as part of a new breed of solo act, armed with the instrumentation of a folk performer but with the attitude of a front-woman.

Maddie’s recent efforts have balanced live performance with studio recording: her 6-track E.P., recorded with session musicians displays some of the contrast resulting from her widespread musical interests. As a live performer, she is currently based between her home region of South Wales, and Nottingham, where she continues to reside following her time at University. With the aid of her E.P. release and continued live presence, she plans to make her appearances more geographically widespread.

Having sang from a young age in situations ranging from punk groups to musical theatre roles, Maddie began forming her solo act when she started teaching herself guitar at 16. The sheer enjoyment of performance, coupled with the discovery of the power of songwriting led to a pursuit of exposure on acoustic circuits at home and in University. Maddie’s influences, whilst strongly based in her eclectic musical tastes and experiences, also stem from other areas, such as art and theatre. Whilst the live recording is a key aspect of the development of Maddie’s songs, she finds greater enjoyment in the live performance, and jamming with other musicians.

Whether or not you agree with Maddie’s self-proclaimed miscellany: do as she asks, and make your own decision.

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