Call Upon The Author

Jenny Gillespie‘s last two albums have been very different from one another, the first being a lot more folk orientated while the second release was a heady, ambient pop adventure. But now she’s transferred her talents into a ‘stripped down’ and very raw style of psychedelic folk.
‘Belita’ is a very modern and up-to-date stance on folk’s traditional and refined style. This makes listening through a pleasure and you can pick out different, unique things for every play through, and whether this is due to Gillespie’s age and experience, or her new found love for African stylistics and finger-picking is a mystery but combined it makes for something that is both exciting and easy to listen to, with five tracks clocking just over 21 minutes. Yet stick this on replay and you can listen and enjoy it more thoroughly, as I said, picking out different parts.
Lyrically, nature and the Earths natural beauties are a strong subject matter that connect well with Gillespie’s delicate and intimate delivery. The bouncing contrast between the intricate finger-picking and the luscious piano melodies means the songs literally ‘float by’, regardless of any structure or balance, and whether that’s a good thing or bad thing I will leave, to the reader to make up their own mind.
Overall, ‘Belita’ is a very poignant and brave approach to Gillespie’s passion, this EP isn’t flawless and acts as more of a warm-up for the inevitable full length that will blatantly follow the same delicate and layered pleasures of ‘Belita’.