Album Review: The Heart Wants from Jo Harrop

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Album:  The Heart Wants
Artist:  Jo Harrop
Label:  Lateralize
Website:  https://www.joharrop.com/about

If the Beatles had a female band member, she would have been singer-songwriter Jo Harrop.  Of course, the Beatles would have needed to arrive 60 years later than they did to make that happen.  To everyone else's good fortune, Harrop has arrived, and her latest CD The Heart Wants features all original songs written by her and accompanied by sparse arrangements, placing her nuanced vocals in the forefront. 

The smoky textures of her vocals give the tracks a misty veneer like she recently brushed off old memories and brought them up to the surface for reflection.  Her voicing is appealing like that of an old friend coming along and taking a trip down memory lane.  The audience isn't merely a spectator but is invited inside to remember along with Harrop those moments that earmarked chapters in one's life.

Her voice turns sultry and flirtatious in "Red Mary Janes & A Brand New Hat," strutting sensually along a burlesque-style piano vamp.  The pendulum sway of "Hold On" creates a pensive atmosphere that draws the listener into the thinly layered arrangement and emotive lyrics as Harrop confesses, "You have your life / and darling, I've got mine too / all I know is this can never be / but still I hold on for you / you started this fire / and still I'm burning inside / so I just hold on for you / I hold on for you / until the rivers run dry / what else can I do / all my love / I hold on for you." Her handling of the lyrics moves the listener to feel a broad range of emotions from empathy to compassion.

The lingering sensations emoted in her vocals is finessed to a refined resonance along "If I Knew" that makes the drama portrayed in the lyrics feel real for the listener.  The wispy flow of her delivery is penetrative through "Rainbow Sleeves" contouring the dulcet swells of the track in twinkling torchlight glitters.  The calmness in her vocals is attractive, lulling softly as she holds her audience in rapt attention.

Harrop sings from her soul, going deeper than any classical training could have prepared her.  She generates a closeness with listeners as though she is revealing a page to them from her home journal in each track.  Born in Durham, she was raised on singers like Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and Tony Bennett.  Her training came as a backup singer for such artists as Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart, Gloria Gaynor, and Enrique Iglesias.  However, singing from her soul was all her own doing, and she does it extremely well and effortlessly.

Musicians:
Jo Harrop - vocals
Christian McBride - bass
Jason Rebello - piano
Jamie McCredie - guitar

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