Thursday, 2 May 2024

Jenny Colquitt "Staring at the Moon"

 


Jenny Colquitt is a singer songwriter from the North west of England and is one of the most exciting rising stars that Voice of a Woman has discovered over the time I have been promoting women in music. Jenny is Voice of a Woman's one to watch always for her natural gift and abilities in the craft of song writing, singing, performing and creating those moments in song that evoke the strongest of emotions about real life, Love, loss, and the bigger questions about life and what is happening. Jenny has won numerous awards for Best female from RNR magazine and from GMSC in 20 21 and 2022. Jenny has played Cornbury festival, Glastonbury and Beardy festivals. Her fan base known as the streamies grows on a daily basis from streaming on twitch as people hear her sing for the first time and are so engaged with what they are witnessing and the talent on display. 

On Friday May 3 Jenny will release the follow up full length album to her debut "Something Beautiful" which was released in 2021. This release is "Staring at the Moon" and is one of the most stellar bodies of work I have had the pleasure of listening to. Let me take you on a journey of this album song by song and story by story to try and do this album the justice and review it truly deserves. 

Our lives go on day to day and we are all a small part of a much bigger universe and while I think on it our loves and the experiences we can go through may feel and impact us as much and as vast as the size of the moon or the distance the moon is to us. Jenny brings us to this in such a caring, thoughtful and beautiful way with the help of her producer Dave from Alibi productions. These two have such an incredible working relationship and it is going from strength to strength and we can hear this through every song on this album. All credit to him. 

Track One Bravest of the Brave

Wont you talk to me oh Isla with the smile upon your face is brighter than the lightbulb we can see from outer space

This track starts softly with piano and vocal and is full of so much love and emotion dedicated to Isla. Jenny's vocal is engaging, soft as she talks to on of the Bravest souls within this world that Jenny knows. This track evokes so much emotion in me throughout the song with the use of harmonies,  the soft crescendo as the song builds and builds till we hear ambient drums and the most beautiful and heart felt love for this person. Stunning. Absolutely stunning and I cried when I heard this first. What an opening track for our journey through staring at the moon. 

Track Two No One Loves Me Like You

This track was a single that Jenny surprised people with when she announced the release of this album back in September 2023. This track has full production behind it with Guitars, synths, drums, harmonies, echos of certain words and has a very different feel musically and what the song is about that the first track. This track explores the love Jenny feels from her one person in life. It feels like a celebration of what this person brings to her day, life and to her. 

I'm in the ocean staring at the moon 

Learning my lesson no one loves me like you do

What a powerful love to feel and this single got played on BBC Liverpool when it was just about to be released. 

Track Three Im Fading

I'm Fading starts with guitar and vocal and continues like this throughout.  

"I'm wasting Its hard to breathe" 

Ambient production backs Jenny's soft vocal in this track which when listening to this it sounds like heartbreak and wanting someone to come and help in any way they can. This is a shorter track on the album yet still packs an emotional punch with every note sung.  

Track Four Without You

I first heard this track on one of Jenny's twitch streams and since hearing it I knew it was such a special song. This song is about loss, that immense sense of unbearable loss inevitably go through in life which Jenny writes so well and crafts such a stunning song to remember a loved one.

I went through the papers in your room written in gold I love you

This song is just one of the best songs written to describe this loss that is hard to come to terms with and  Jenny's vocal brings you heartbreak and healing all at the same time. Grief is inevitable and one day we will all "Turn this ship around" and come out the other side This was a previous single release to support the album and is a classic, an absolute classic. 

Track Five I Won't Let You Drive

Music is always something that can evoke so many emotions and this track is a piano ballad about the intricacies of relationships and the vulnerabilities of the push and pull and so much more depth than we will sometimes allow ourselves to go. The breath-taking vocal and melodies make this song even more emotional as Jenny displays such beautiful vocal prowess with sift tones and slight crescendo and falsetto when needed. This is song writing craftmanship at its best, such a clever use of lyrics to describe a feeling in a relationship.

"I won't let you Drive You're way to focussed on the passenger side"

Track Six For A Moment

Im lost again second guessing me Ive seen your eyes holding on to me

This track starts with ambience and strings setting up the atmosphere and building up with percussion and crescendo in vocals and rhythm. The power and depth of emotion yet again are so impressive in the build up of this track and the want to breathe even if just for a moment. There is an impressive piano solo in the bridge before the last chorus. The drum rhythm feels like breathing fast and I find myself completely lost in this track. This track is a more faced pace track that the tracks before and is just incredible in use of production. 

Track Seven Dear Me 

Sign me a letter that says dear me its over now that you're better and seeing things the way the really are 

Dear Me is another slow track beginning with guitar and ambient percussion, every production tool is used with the utnost care and concern in every track including this one. The song builds to a guitar and piano solo before the last chorus. Even though the song itself builds gradually, Jenny's vocals carry this song and takes you along with her in every word and note sang. What a talent. 

Track Eight Fallin Angels 

Fallin Angels is a track that jenny's streamies (her loyal fanbase) will know and some will be on this track as well. With this track Jenny had wanted to create a sing along track that when she gigs people could join in and this is what she has created and she really has crafted another gem. Asking the big questions and asking us all to be "warriors of life"  I have heard audiences sing this many times and sing it loud and what a message to send to the world with all going on while we can stare at the moon, wars, depression and despair and so many other tragedies that we have little to no control over and  we unite maybe we can have a glimmer of hope that this will all come to an end. 

"Lets not fight Let's unite We Are Fallin Angels tonight and we're beyond the Wall"

Track Nine My Design 

The use of echo on the first riff sets the atmosphere for this next upbeat track which is My Design. I can't help think when listening what a world we ourselves would design if we had the chance, what would it look like. This track slowly builds and builds and the riff is ever present on piano with building up and the drum beating as if repeating the riff rhythm on piano, and then the fav low rumble section as it is affectionally known as in jenny's fanbase. This low rumble section slowly builds and builds to get to the climax of this unbelievably stunning track. The track ends with the riff on its own leaving you wanting more. 

Track Ten Staring at the Moon


We have come to the last track of this album which is sad however I am going to be playing this album over and over as there is so much to get to know and this is a story you want to tell yourself again and again. This is a new track to everyone though it is a new track for people who follow Jenny closely and are in her patrons and twitch streamies group. When listening to this track it sounds very atmospheric like being lost in the universe with the one you love. This album opened with on of the most beautiful tracks and closes with this epic feel like there is a world of rubble around you and you are with someone and all you are doing is thinking of this person and together starting at the moon.

"I can see the world round us falling and here we are spending our days staring at the moon 

everything we touch here is broken but all I can think of is thinking of you" 


This album is nothing short of extraordinary in songwriting, singing, use of production and Jenny's vocals to express the story and each of these songs deserve their place on this body of work and tie in together so well. The stories and themes of love, loss and so much more are woven together so eloquently  with so much thought, hard work and attention to detail. It is incredible to witness this as Jenny's best work to date (and this is saying something) and an album that sits up there with any classic album of all time. Friday May Third is when the world can stare at the moon with Jenny and appreciate the talent we have within the UK, she deserves the universe and more. I invite you to come along for the rise in this album as I know you will not be disappointed, a must for music lovers everywhere.  Listen, buy, follow, stream and support this artist and album and see you on tour! 

Credit must also go to the design of the artwork and Emily, she has added more to the story through her talent and drawings for the single covers and the album artwork. Check out the videos on YouTube and see for yourself.

Credits 

Songs written by Jenny Colquitt

Produced by Alibi Productions

Artwork Aether Illustration 

You can catch Jenny on tour on these dates in the UK, See YOU there! For more info all about Jenny, previous releases and tickets for the tour go to her website here