Reviews

Artist:Sophie Bancroft
Album:Hot And Cold
Label:Lisaleo
Tracks: 11
Rating: ****
Contact:   www.sophiebancroft.co.uk

Ok I know "Hot And Cold" came out in 2005, but at Sophie's standard rate of output, I wouldn't get to review a new Sophie Bancroft album until mid to late 2007. Besides it's part of the philosophy of this site to feature artists that don't get the opportunity to showcase their wares in the mass media. In short Sophie sent us a disk for review. I liked it so we're covering it.
I once saaw a t-shirt that said on the front "There Are Two Sorts Of Jazz" and on the back said "And Their Both Crap" well if that is the case there's either three sorts of jazz and the t-shirt designer hadn't heard the third or the t-shirt was simply wrong.
Sophie Bancroft writes, performs and sings like someone that has been immersed in music all of their lives. Someone that is able to pluck themes and ideas from a number of acoustic genres, folk, blues and even classical and use them to inform a jazz style that is proper listening music, music that you can either allow to wash over you to take away the stress of the day, or music you can really pay attention to.
There's plenty of twists and turns in both the music and the strong lyric. The Celtic tinged vocal, that give away Sophie's Scots heritage, adds an almost ethereal quality. "Easy To See" perhaps sums up the album best. It's a simple sounding song, that is enhanced by short delicate flourishes. Instruments that you'ld not previously noticed suddenly make their presence fail before fading back into the song.
I'd be interested to discover what comes first in Sophie's mind, the music or the words. Which ever way around it is, she marries to two parts into some pretty awesome wholes with their own distinctive edge.
The album features guest writers, one from within Sophie's band. The songs sit well in the set. They do provide a difference that also shows how well Sophie interprets. If you like your jazz bitty with complex phrasing that shows what a group of musicians playing different tunes next to each other can do, this ain't your thing. If you lke your jazz mellow with plenty of expression then now's the time to pick up on Sophie Bancroft and who knows even find time to explore the back catalogue.