Kiwi expat Gin Wigmore teased us with the release of her EP Extended Play. Now with her debut album Holy Smoke, Gin shows us why she’s one of the most intriguing musicians on the local scene.
The album toes that fine and difficult musical line, remaining accessible while never sacrificing its emotional heart. Recorded in America’s famed Capitol Studios with The Cardinals, it’s no surprise that it sounds incredibly slick. But Gin’s distinctively rasping vocals ensure it never feels superficially polished.
Holy Smoke was written after an intense relationship break-down. While those emotions colour the tracks, they never become too bogged down in the drama. The first single “Oh My” shows the way Gin can defiantly deliver lyrics about being beaten in the game of love against energetic hand-clapping melodies. Gin allows herself to be vulnerable in the fragile closing tracks “Golden Ship” and “Dying Day,” but for the most part this recording is all about strength and bluesy grit.
The brassy soul sounds remind me a little of Duffy, Amy Winehouse, and other British singers of that ilk, but that’s just the start of it. There are more colours in there: blues, jazz, pop, rock, and even a little reggae in the laidback “I Do.” Holy Smoke is an excellent album from one of our brightest new stars.
Holy Smoke hits stores on September 25.
Image source: JB Hi-Fi; The White Agency
