Florence Joelle - Stealing Flowers
by Lisa Torem
published: 8 / 6 / 2013
Label:
Zoltan Records
Format: CD
intro
Superb classic jazz-influenced second album from Parisian-born but now London-based singer-songwriter, Florence Joelle
A Parisian native, now living in London, Florence Joelle brings the tastes of many cultures to her second album, 'Stealing Flowers'. The CD is cleverly pressed to look like a vintage recording and the cover shot is homey and warm. She’s gone all the way to package her follow-up to 2011’s 'Kiss of Fire' well. The party begins with the effervescent, jazzy ‘Devil’s Overdraft’. The second cut ’29 Bus Blues’ starts innocently – “If you just missed one the next is never too far away,” but then the drama begins. The thick-as-paste bass underlines the story of an assault: “A man kicks her to the ground,” Joelle recounts. The tragedy heats up as the versatile vocalist papers the moon with her crisp blues harp action. The title song is booming with bongos. And, seriously, when is the last time your ears have been treated to that kind of communication? It’s a very cool arrangement, which swings like a monkey dangling from a flailing branch. Next up is Duke Ellington’s ‘Caravan’, which is one of three covers – the rest are originals. It is tastefully executed and spiked with Paul Seacroft’s exciting pedal steel. ‘ESP’ is framed by castanets and congas. It is the most experimental of the tracks, and doesn’t quite hit the mark. The profound ‘How Many Chickens Are You Missing Today?’ is a protest song about the expulsion of Roma from France in 2010. There is a lot of passion in the lyrics and performance; especially the flamenco flourishes. ‘So What?’ is exciting from the first blues harp lick to the last sizzling chord. But the real treat is ‘Coucou,’ which she sings in her native tongue. It is flawlessly performed with a charming classicism. ‘The God of Things,’ written about the London riots in 2011, really gives way to goosebumps. ‘Dreamer Man’ finds Joelle in perfect form. Her breathy sensual Eartha Kitt-ish approach to singing is highly contagious and appealing; particularly engulfed, as she is here, in Latin beats. The Louis Jordan signature, ‘Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby’ is another crowd pleaser and greatly contrasts the closer, ‘Darkest Before Dawn.’ This is a refreshing album, which Joelle and her artists perform in a serious, but celebratory manner. There’s not one penny pinching moment in “Stealing Flowers” – that’s for sure.
Track Listing:-
1 Devil's Overdraft2 29 Bus Blues
3 Stealing Flowers
4 Caravan
5 ESP
6 How Many Chickens Are You Missing Today?
7 So What?
8 Coucou
9 The God Of Things
10 Dreamer Man
11 Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby
12 Darkest Before Dawn
Band Links:-
http://www.florencejoelle.com/https://www.youtube.com/user/FlorenceJoelle
Label Links:-
http://www.zoltanrecords.com/soundcloud
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart