A FORMATIVE influence on the likes of Laura Marling, Jo Bartlett was one of the co-founders of the now iconic Green Man Festival and seen as a pioneer of the ‘folktronic movement that spawned, among others, The Beta Band.
Now performing as a solo artist, Bartlett’s self-financed second album of autumnal musings in four years disappoints. The production is vapid, creating washes of pastel colours with synthesisers and strings that struggle to stand out. The instrumental Olympic is more robust than one might expect and What Do You Say To That benefits from allowing more adventurous impulses freer rein.
Elsewhere murky choruses are too prevalent and the six-man band struggle for air. Her lyrics on the passing of time are strong, but once again the arrangements negate their impact. The predictability of the music is the single greatest weakness here; where once she was cutting edge, this sound is now passé. Even at only 30 minutes, this feels over-long.
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