When this arrived in my mailbox, I had almost dismissed it as yet another independent release that wasn't worth a lot of my time -- then I noticed Indigo Girls' drummer Jerry Marotta played on it and produced part of it. I shrugged, reconsidered, and popped it into the stereo. I'm glad I did.
Jenny Bird is pretty damn talented, folks. Joy Of It is a bright, clear, celebratory piece of folk-rock, definitely worth a second -- or even a third look. Bird's voice is flexible, clear, and uncomplicated -- she's not an artiste, she's a singer, and a good one at that. The production and engineering on the CD is just as uncomplicated, letting the music take center stage; there are spots where I swore I was listening to an acoustic live performance (especially on "Fearless"). The backing musicians are good; supporting the music without upstaging it.
The real flower, though, are the songs. Jenny Bird is a singer/songwriter, a throwback to the days when lyrics, music, and guitar went hand-in-hand -- and my gods, but the lady writes pretty songs. "Greenwater", "Dirt", "Awakening" (with a very cool and unexpected sitar descant woven through it), the bittersweet "Moving Adrienne", "Best Kiss" -- each song is bright and passionate, warm like newly-minted gold, sweet like honey. It's all about the songs, and the songs are brilliant. Bird infuses them with such a sense of light and warmth that they cannot help but pull you in.
Joy Of It may be the best independent release I've heard
this year. It comes with the highest recommendation.