Press
Reviews and Write ups in no apparent order.
Here's what the critics have to say ...
... About "As the Sun Falls"
REVIEWS
Jess McAvoy
AS THE SUN FALLS (Henduwin Music)
Three and a half stars
With each album Perth/Melbourne singer Jess McAvoy has shown that her folk
roots are just that, roots not binders. This time around there's a real
sense of sophistication in the songwriting which sometimes has a touch of
the (non-rock'n'roll) 1950s and occasionally leans towards adult pop of the
sort Delta and Missy still strive for but miss as they lack McAvoy's soul.
"I'm a round hole in a box of square pegs," McAvoy says in You Do. She is,
and hopefully she keeps rejecting the square.
Bernard Zuel
Drum Media Sydney, Issue 927, 14 October
JESS MCAVOY
As The Sun Falls
Melbourne's Jess McAvoy has teamed up with Marty Brown (Clare Bowditch and the Feeding
Set) as co-producer to create her best album to date.
There's something complete to this package that was lacking in previews albums, En Masse
and Into The Dark. As a songwriter McAvoy has gained weight and with Brown's impeccable
style, they've come up with something fine together. There's a grittier edge As The Sun
Falls that shifts McAvoy out of the friendly acoustic pop stream in which she was
floating around and into a harder, heavier sound that altogether suits her to a tee.
McAvoy has found a red hot band for this recording, including good friends Clare Bowditch
and Lis Stringer on backing vocals. There's a stirring string section on Part Of Me along
with some nimble bass playing and lingering piano, all bringing out the sultriness in
McAvoy;s voice. Cake, with its syncopated beats and pulsing bass line, is yum. Likewise
How The Hell is a throbbing, gutsy, wrecking ball of a track that brings out an entirely
new side to McAvoy as she howls "How The Hell d'you get into my soul?"
Despite the grungier nature of this album, established fans of McAvoy should not despair
because the sweet-sounding, vocals and the gentle strumming of guitar they've become
accustom to are all till on show. This songstress is still innately grounded in her
acoustic roots, despite her attempts to electrify her soul. Thumbs up to a very cool
album filled with plenty of verve.
- Kaz Mitchell
Jess McAvoy’s fish is not to be missed by any self-respecting diner. Mixing cumin seeds with another seasoning I cannot recall at the moment, McAvoy created a taste senstation thoroughly enjoyed by punters and critics alike. The butter-infused chick peas were a revelation. 4 ½ stars.
-Jess McGuire
... About "Into the Dark"
This is truly a beautiful release. Into the Dark not only crystallizes the gorgeous melancholy of her songwriting, but finally does justice to that wonderful frayed beauty in her voice, that husk versus honey, and the raw introspection of her lyrics. An album to treasure.
Nick Snelling, Beat Magazine
Four and a half stars
Just as the CD store racks are teeming with earnest surfy blokes with slide guitars and angst-ridden bands of faux punks sporting eyeliner and technicolour tattoos, it can be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to rootsy female singer-songwriters.
Let me make it easier for you: forget the rest, Jess McAvoy is one of the best. On Into the Dark, her second full-length record as a wholly independent artist, McAvoy provides a stunning spectrum of songs and emotions. Bookended by the gorgeous Easy and More Words, the album explores the many facets of love and life, and most listeners will find more than a few songs resonating personally.
The title track's arrangement is a gorgeous blend of Je t'aime (Moi Non Plus) and Breakfast in Bed, as a lazy organ hums beneath McAvoy's velvety voice and plinking guitar. Apart from her astute songwriting, it's McAvoy's voice that steals the show - equal parts Chrissie Hynde, Dusty Springfield and beautiful Australian country babe - no chaff in sight.
Clem Bastow, The Age
...About Jess
"Graceful, funny and a stronger performer than ever "
Bob Gordon, X press
"If ever there was someone born to take the stage, it's Jess McAvoy. "
Xpress
"Jess McAvoy is vibrant, energetic and accomplished. Her songwriting and performance is filled with passion. "
Josh Cunningham, The Waifs
"A class above the rest ... Jess McAvoy is an exciting find. "
The Sydney Morning Herald
"Her stage presence has the commanding strength of a titanium rod ... you dare not ignore her".
Beat Magazine
McAvoy always seems to draw something from deep within herself, giving each song its emotive dues in a way you find difficult to believe.
X Press
...About En Masse
**** 4 stars. McAvoy has a polished collection of self-penned works, whose acoustic groove will silence even the loudest bar fly into submission.
The Age