The arrival of Jessie Ware’s debut album last year was a much needed breath of fresh air in a world of commodified pop that's dictated by a bunch of has-been talent show judges.
At first it was easy to be skeptical about it as her album was an instant hit with the broadsheets, received a Mercury Music Prize nomination and there was news of her being related to a well-known broadcaster. All a bit middle-class and coffee-table… But prior to her debut, Jessie had worked with urban underground acts Joker and SBTRKT and recorded some solid tunes. As a vocalist she didn’t come across as amazingly proficient but her sassy and understated delivery brought something special.
I’ve been listening to her album off and on in recent months. I was somewhat underwhelmed on my first few listens. This is because it seemed to lack the intrigue of her dubstep/ grime infused work and opted for more obvious soul reference points such as Sade and Whitney House (RIP). However, following repeated listens, I discovered that the songwriting and the studio-led arrangements (which keep revealing themselves the more you listen) is actually impressive.
At the risk of sounding like an old fogey, there was a time when pop music successfully repackaged current dance influences to produce melodies that were cool and accessible (80s Pet Shop Boys and New Order being fine examples). Devotion does exactly that with Ware’s acute awareness of more interesting electronic producers, something which her contemporaries such as Emeli Sande and Adele lack. It is also pulled off with enough suave and elegance to keep it on the right side of adult contemporary.
The broadsheet music journos seem to have got it right after all. Where she goes from here, deeper into sophisti-pop or edgy electronic, will be interesting to see. Here's an early pre-Devotion tune of her's worth sharing.
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