| Gin Wigmore — Blood to Bone (June 26, 2015) |
Gin Wigmore — Blood to Bone (June 26, 2015) ♦ Gin Wigmore je šílená a certifikovaná megastar ve své domovské zemi na Novém Zélandu, kde se její dvě předchozí alba, “Holy Smoke” (2009) a “Gravel & Wine” (2011) — oba multi–platinové (4x + 2x), cinkli se širokou odezvou. Její kariéra však začala, když jí zemřel otec ve věku 17. Posléze zavedla svůj populární hudební blog miláčkům a promluvila na americkém trhu. Zahrnovalo to celý houf komerčních umístění, kupříkladu v AMC TV, Orange is the New Black, reklamu na Heineken v hlavní roli s Danielem Craigem jako James Bondem v Skyfall. K tomu 5x Won v New Zealand Music Awards (zejména “Breakthrough Artist of The Year” 2010). Stůl byl nastaven. Wigmore je zpravidla nejpřesvědčivější ve chvíli, když její hudba začne být naštvaná a jedovatá, pak celý koncept kousavé lyriky má tendenci dělat přirozeného spojence s jejím jedinečně pronikavým hlasem. “Blood to Bone” přináší několik skladeb s tímto nábojem a okamžitě cítím, že sdělení je o něco více osobní (a možná ještě více upřímné), na úkor předpokládaných tahů a zábavného faktoru. Album však vzniklo jako bezprostřední odpověď na rozchod s partnerem, který sama iniciovala. A je to cítit v každé písni, ta mučivá bolest. Podrobnosti dodá Laren Migaki.* Poznámka k poslední písni “I Will Love You” : obsahuje šťavnaté překvapení, jakýsi hip–hopový přídavek. Gin se mi vzhledově nelíbí, něco v ní však musí být, když už ve 14–ti byla schopna vnímat Davida Graye a díky inspiraci z alba “Thite Ladder” (November 1998) napsala svou vůbec první píseň “Angelfire”. Chodím tedy vírou, ne viděním. Nejlepší píseň se mi zdá “Black Parade”, pomalá balada s nepatrným chraplákem.
♦ New Zealand singer/songwriter mixes 2000s folkish indie pop with an anachronistic century–old manner. Birth name: Virginia Claire Wigmore
Also known as: Gin
Born: 6 June 1986, Auckland, New Zealand
Location: Auckland, New Zealand ~~ Sydney, NSW, Australia
Album release: June 26, 2015
Record Label: Island / Universal
Duration: 42:19
Tracks:
01 New Rush (Charlie Andrew/Gin Wigmore) 3:49
02 Nothing to No One (David Hodges/Steven Soloman/Gin Wigmore) 3:46
03 This Old Heart (Khalil Abdul–Rahman/Daniel Tannenbaum/Gin Wigmore) 4:43
04 Black Parade (Stuart Crichton/Gin Wigmore) 4:06
05 Written in the Water (Stuart Crichton/Gin Wigmore) 2:47
06 In My Way (Thomas Hull/Gin Wigmore) 3:30
07 Holding on to Hell (Gin Wigmore/Joakim Åhlund) 3:13
08 DFU (Stuart Crichton/Gin Wigmore) 3:05
09 24 (Khalil Abdul–Rahman/Pranam Injeti/Daniel Tannenbaum/Gin Wigmore) 4:14
10 I Will Love You (Gin Wigmore) 9:06
AWARDS:
• NZL #1
• AUS #13 Review
By Jim Vorel | August 31, 2015 | 1:53pm | Score: 7.0
♦ Gin Wigmore is a certifiable megastar in her home country of New Zealand, where her two previous albums, 2009’s Holy Smoke and 2011’s Gravel & Wine were both multi–platinum smash hits. The latter made her a popular music blog darling and up–and–comer in the American market when it was released here in April of 2013, snaring her a bevy of commercial placements that included the likes of AMC TV, Orange is the New Black and Heineken commercials starring Daniel Craig as James Bond in Skyfall. The table was set for a big–time follow–up in Blood to Bone, a generally entertaining album that doesn’t quite match its predecessor. At its best, the peaks are nearly as high, but the valleys are significantly lower.
♦ What we’re presented with here is a bit of a top–heavy recording, one that packs some great cuts of alternative rock and neo–soul into its first half before starting to run out of steam in an increasingly contemplative second act. As a rule, Wigmore is at her best when her music seems dissatisfied — venomous, biting lyricism does tend to make a natural bedfellow with Wigmore’s uniquely gravelly voice. Blood to Bone delivers a few of those tracks before taking a detour that feels a bit more personal (and perhaps even more sincere) to Wigmore, at the expense of verve and entertainment factor.
♦ Still, it’s a recording you’ll want to spin for a few stand–out tracks, especially lead single “Written in the Water,” which was a natural choice to champion as her new signature tune. This is a spectacularly catchy, propulsive, driving song that samples some of the best bits of Wigmore’s previous successes, with a swinging beat, horns and pounding piano that echo Gravel & Wine’s “Man Like That.” Also solid is the galloping pace of “New Rush,” which seems to incorporate a little bit of electronic inspiration, along with the swaggering, dramatic swings between grandiose choral backup and solo piano featured on “Nothing to No One” and “24.” Those songs crackle with Wigmore’s intensity of presence and match up favorably against anything she’s done before.
♦ There are also some more unusual tracks, however, such as the odd call–and–response intro on “Willing to Die,” which sounds a bit like a chain gang work song. Worse is “DFU,” with its confused backing vocals and seeming inspiration in ‘80s synth rock, something that simply doesn’t seem to fit comfortably into Wigmore’s oeuvre. Same thing with the overlong, maudlin ballad “I Will Love You.”
♦ Ultimately we’re left with a mixed bag, but the highlights make a stronger lasting impression than the negatives. I may chop some of these songs out and into more expansive playlists, but I have a hunch that “Written in the Water” will make a strong reappearance in my year–end best song nominations. ♦ http://www.pastemagazine.com/ AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine; Score: ***
♦ On her third album Blood to Bone, New Zealand pop singer/songwriter Gin Wigmore decides to go all–in on an extreme makeover, transitioning from the vaguely rootsy rocker of her 2009 debut Holy Smoke — an album recorded with Ryan Adams' Cardinals in tow — into a hybrid of Lorde's artful darkness and Amy Winehouse's soulful diva. Wigmore's chops as a singer sometimes puncture the noir atmosphere, meaning Blood to Bone isn't quite as unsettling as it often intends to be, but the album is made interesting by her pop instincts, which provide shape to "Holding on to Hell," a dark pulse for "DFU," and majesty to "Nothing to No One." Moments like these are the anchor for the slow, churning moodiness of Blood to Bone, and they're enough to keep it intriguing as an overall record.
Discography (only albums):
♦ 2009 Holy Smoke (Motown)
♦ 2011 Gravel & Wine (Mercury/Polydor/Universal Music)
♦ 2015 Blood to Bone (Island/Universal)
Personal life:
♦ Virginia Wigmore, more commonly known as Gin Wigmore, was born in Auckland, New Zealand to Peter and Adrienne Wigmore. Wigmore has two older siblings: brother Olly and sister Lucy Wigmore, a professional actress known for starring as Justine Jones in the long–running New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street and a role in Underbelly: Razor. She married Jason Butler, lead singer of the band Letlive. during a private ceremony in Hawaii in September 2014.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GinWigmore
* Lauren Migaki, NPR: http://www.npr.org/2015/09/01/436525765/music-release-gin-wigmores-blood-to-bone
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| Gin Wigmore — Blood to Bone (June 26, 2015) |
♦ New Zealand singer/songwriter mixes 2000s folkish indie pop with an anachronistic century–old manner. Birth name: Virginia Claire Wigmore
Also known as: Gin
Born: 6 June 1986, Auckland, New Zealand
Location: Auckland, New Zealand ~~ Sydney, NSW, Australia
Album release: June 26, 2015
Record Label: Island / Universal
Duration: 42:19
Tracks:
01 New Rush (Charlie Andrew/Gin Wigmore) 3:49
02 Nothing to No One (David Hodges/Steven Soloman/Gin Wigmore) 3:46
03 This Old Heart (Khalil Abdul–Rahman/Daniel Tannenbaum/Gin Wigmore) 4:43
04 Black Parade (Stuart Crichton/Gin Wigmore) 4:06
05 Written in the Water (Stuart Crichton/Gin Wigmore) 2:47
06 In My Way (Thomas Hull/Gin Wigmore) 3:30
07 Holding on to Hell (Gin Wigmore/Joakim Åhlund) 3:13
08 DFU (Stuart Crichton/Gin Wigmore) 3:05
09 24 (Khalil Abdul–Rahman/Pranam Injeti/Daniel Tannenbaum/Gin Wigmore) 4:14
10 I Will Love You (Gin Wigmore) 9:06
AWARDS:
• NZL #1
• AUS #13 Review
By Jim Vorel | August 31, 2015 | 1:53pm | Score: 7.0
♦ Gin Wigmore is a certifiable megastar in her home country of New Zealand, where her two previous albums, 2009’s Holy Smoke and 2011’s Gravel & Wine were both multi–platinum smash hits. The latter made her a popular music blog darling and up–and–comer in the American market when it was released here in April of 2013, snaring her a bevy of commercial placements that included the likes of AMC TV, Orange is the New Black and Heineken commercials starring Daniel Craig as James Bond in Skyfall. The table was set for a big–time follow–up in Blood to Bone, a generally entertaining album that doesn’t quite match its predecessor. At its best, the peaks are nearly as high, but the valleys are significantly lower.
♦ What we’re presented with here is a bit of a top–heavy recording, one that packs some great cuts of alternative rock and neo–soul into its first half before starting to run out of steam in an increasingly contemplative second act. As a rule, Wigmore is at her best when her music seems dissatisfied — venomous, biting lyricism does tend to make a natural bedfellow with Wigmore’s uniquely gravelly voice. Blood to Bone delivers a few of those tracks before taking a detour that feels a bit more personal (and perhaps even more sincere) to Wigmore, at the expense of verve and entertainment factor.
♦ Still, it’s a recording you’ll want to spin for a few stand–out tracks, especially lead single “Written in the Water,” which was a natural choice to champion as her new signature tune. This is a spectacularly catchy, propulsive, driving song that samples some of the best bits of Wigmore’s previous successes, with a swinging beat, horns and pounding piano that echo Gravel & Wine’s “Man Like That.” Also solid is the galloping pace of “New Rush,” which seems to incorporate a little bit of electronic inspiration, along with the swaggering, dramatic swings between grandiose choral backup and solo piano featured on “Nothing to No One” and “24.” Those songs crackle with Wigmore’s intensity of presence and match up favorably against anything she’s done before.
♦ There are also some more unusual tracks, however, such as the odd call–and–response intro on “Willing to Die,” which sounds a bit like a chain gang work song. Worse is “DFU,” with its confused backing vocals and seeming inspiration in ‘80s synth rock, something that simply doesn’t seem to fit comfortably into Wigmore’s oeuvre. Same thing with the overlong, maudlin ballad “I Will Love You.”
♦ Ultimately we’re left with a mixed bag, but the highlights make a stronger lasting impression than the negatives. I may chop some of these songs out and into more expansive playlists, but I have a hunch that “Written in the Water” will make a strong reappearance in my year–end best song nominations. ♦ http://www.pastemagazine.com/ AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine; Score: ***
♦ On her third album Blood to Bone, New Zealand pop singer/songwriter Gin Wigmore decides to go all–in on an extreme makeover, transitioning from the vaguely rootsy rocker of her 2009 debut Holy Smoke — an album recorded with Ryan Adams' Cardinals in tow — into a hybrid of Lorde's artful darkness and Amy Winehouse's soulful diva. Wigmore's chops as a singer sometimes puncture the noir atmosphere, meaning Blood to Bone isn't quite as unsettling as it often intends to be, but the album is made interesting by her pop instincts, which provide shape to "Holding on to Hell," a dark pulse for "DFU," and majesty to "Nothing to No One." Moments like these are the anchor for the slow, churning moodiness of Blood to Bone, and they're enough to keep it intriguing as an overall record.
Discography (only albums):
♦ 2009 Holy Smoke (Motown)
♦ 2011 Gravel & Wine (Mercury/Polydor/Universal Music)
♦ 2015 Blood to Bone (Island/Universal)
Personal life:
♦ Virginia Wigmore, more commonly known as Gin Wigmore, was born in Auckland, New Zealand to Peter and Adrienne Wigmore. Wigmore has two older siblings: brother Olly and sister Lucy Wigmore, a professional actress known for starring as Justine Jones in the long–running New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street and a role in Underbelly: Razor. She married Jason Butler, lead singer of the band Letlive. during a private ceremony in Hawaii in September 2014.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GinWigmore
* Lauren Migaki, NPR: http://www.npr.org/2015/09/01/436525765/music-release-gin-wigmores-blood-to-bone
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