Chrissie and The Fairground Boys, JP - Fidelity!
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CD Details
Artist: Chrissie and The Fairground Boys, JPEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2010-08-24
Music Label: Rocket Science
Soundtracks:
- Perfect Lover
- If You Let Me
- Fairground Luck
- Australia
- Misty Valley
- Courage
- Leave Me If You Must
- Meanwhile
- Your Fairground
- Never Drink Again
- Fidelity!
Music reviews of Fidelity!
Music Review: Do Yourself A Favor, And Spend Some Time At The "Fairgrounds!"
Rating: 4 Stars
This album may not be for you if you're expecting the next Pretenders disc. It may not be your thing if you prefer Chrissie Hynde rough and rockin'. And you should DEFINITELY pass on it if you're not into the whole Joe Cocker/Van Morrison/Tom Waits/Rod Stewart vibe!
On the flipside, you should DEFINITELY pick it up if you like variety, a softer, more introspective Hynde (think a less Countrified version of the Pretenders' excellent 2008 disc BREAK UP THE CONCRETE), and great vocal teamwork.
Coming out on a small indie label, this disc is probably going to disappear within months, with few people, Pretenders fans or otherwise, knowing it had ever even been released. And that's a shame, because it's one of 2010's few pleasant musical surprises. (Yes, J.P. Jones may be an acquired taste for some ~ or most! ~ but I think he balances out Hynde quite nicely. Additionally, there's no questioning the fact that he's a VERY strong writer).
Things get rolling with the thoughtful, brutally honest "Perfect Lover." Hynde delivers a smooth, shimmering lead vocal, perfectly backed by Jones' raspy harmonies. A subdued, yet crisp, arrangement brilliantly supports the pointed lyrics: "I found my perfect lover/But he's only half my age/He was learning how to stand/When I was wearing my first wedding band." But it's the line "I found my perfect lover, but I'll not impede his way/His time is tomorrow, mine was yesterday" that really hits you like a ton of bricks. A VERY powerful way to start things off!
Up next is the blistering "If You Let Me", probably the album's most rocking track. Anchored by Geoff Holroyde's thundering drums, Hynde and Jones vocally spar back and forth, making it clear that it'll all be worth it in the end if someone's just willing to take a chance ("If you don't want me to come in/You better lock the door").
"Fairground Luck" is one of the few cuts that just doesn't work for me....it's kind of like a bad Sonny and Cher tribute! The arrangement is uninspired and limp, while the vocals are routine and/or iffy at best....Hynde's are phoned in, while Jones' are all over the place, bouncing from a pretty nice upper register to a generic mid-level rasp. One of FIDELITY!'s few clunkers.
Far superior is "Australia", definitely one of the disc's best cuts. Equal parts breath-taking and heart-breaking, everything just comes together perfectly....a lovely arrangement, exceptional instrumentation, brilliant co-lead vocals and smart lyrics, both her's ("I was proppin' up the bar on my own/Mostly guys like you say good-bye to me/And never offer me a ride home") and his ("Eyes as blue as your's deserve a symphony/I ain't got the whole song but I've got melody"). In the end, the song is all about hope....what more could you ask for? In a word....perfection!
Just as good is "Misty Valleys." No doubt about it...this cut is Hynde's vocal tour-de-force here. Slinky, soaring, sparkling, smooth....there's a lushness and sensuality that just eminates from the speakers. (However, she's ALMOST upstaged by Sam Swallow's gorgeous piano fills!). Without a doubt, one of Hynde's Top Five vocal performances to date. Simply brilliant.
I consider "Courage" to be one of the disc's other weaker tracks...it's not that it's a bad song, it's just not in the same class as most of the rest of the album. It's just...O.K. The arrangement is O.K., the vocals are O.K., the lyrics are just...you guessed it, O.K.! I wouldn't go so far as to say this is filler, but it's certainly nothing more than.... well, O.K.!
Jones' shining moment is the haunting "Leave Me If You Must." Part Richard Harris, part Johnny Cash, the oddly lilting instrumentation juxtaposes the slightly cryptic vocal, which brilliantly dances around the stark, striking lyrics: "In a different life I'd cling to you and cover you in dust." Another gem!
And then there's "Meanwhile", another favorite of mine. Think Christine McVie, at her most atmospheric, not to mention her sultriest. Weaving in and out, up and down, and all around, both the arrangement and Hynde's lead vocal positively dance. Exquisite harmony and backing vocals cap it all off. This is a hit waiting to happen! Or..it SHOULD be!
There's a relaxed swagger to "Your Fairground" that die-hard Pretenders fans will love...with it's economical arrangement, assured lead vocal and tight harmonies, this strong cut could have easily fit on any of the first three Pretenders albums. Not a classic, but just what the disc needed right at this point.
"Never Drink Alone" is another vocal dynamo. Starting out slow, soft and subdued, it's soon soaring. Hynde's crystaline vocal is perfectly offset by Jones' sandpaper rasp. It's all layered over an arrangement that, while laid back and unobtrusive, is never wimpy. Yet another winner.
Things wrap up with the alt-country-flavored title track. "Fidelity!" has it all...an amazing arrangement, full of acoustic guitars, piano and tamborine, silky vocals and smart, sweet lyrics ("Cuban rum, what did I say?") all come together perfectly, resulting in just...the...right...ending!
So....I don't know if J.P., Chrissie and the Fairground Boys is an on-going thing or not, but FIDELITY! is, without a doubt, one of 2010's nicest surprises. That said, do yourself a favor, and spend some time strolling around the Fairgrounds! (As with all my reviews, I'm giving the disc an extra half a star for including the lyrics).
Description of Fidelity!
Fidelity!, the gutsy, raw debut album from JP, Chrissie & The Fairground Boys, is an epic love story, albeit not a conventional one. Everything you need to know about the heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting and fruitful relationship between The Pretenders leader Chrissie Hynde and Welsh singer-songwriter JP Jones is contained within Fidelity!'s 11 songs.Alternative Rock CDs
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