Album Review: Imelda May – 11 Past The Hour
– By Rob Jones –
If you consider that artists are people and people change and evolve, then it shouldn’t be shocking when an artist does exactly that. As such, for whatever reason, when an artist does change their sound, you can’t help but feel that it’s a brave thing to do.
Imelda May rose to the top of the rockabilly world over the course of 4 albums blending that genre with torch singer soft jazz, the results crowned her as the modern heir to Wanda Jackson. But after her divorce from her former husband and guitarist Darrel Higham, Imelda started heading in a different musical direction.
11 Past The Hour is drastically different from what you might be used to on her first 4 albums. This album is more intimate like her last album: life, love, flesh, blood, and yet moodier. The title track is vintage 60’s soundtrack music, this could easily be the opening credits song for a James Bond movie. Slightly reminiscent of the carpenter’s.
“Breathe” falls into a more modern version of the style of the first song.
“Made To Love” would’ve fit well on the first solo album from Nina Gordon of Veruca Salt, having a driving soft alternative sound.
I get slight Adele vibes off of the restrained and yet beautiful “Diamonds” and “What We Did in the Dark” is easily the most pleasant surprise on the album featuring some really great driving synth wave.
“Solace” would’ve fit nicely on Norah Jones’s album The Fall. If you can distance yourself musically from everything Imelda May used to be known for and appreciate this album on its own merits, then you will find a great album by a very talented artist who is blazing her own trail and charting new territory.
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