Worrisome Heart – Melody Gardot Review

Worrisome Heart – Melody Gardot

Every so often you discover a hidden gem and that is exactly what happened when I discovered quite by accident – Worrisome Heart by American singer/songwriter Melody Garbot. With so many female singer/ songwriters emerging it is hard to find someone who stands out from the crowd and has a sound unique to themselves but Melody is an exception to that rule.

It is hard to pigeon whole Melody’s music but if she does have to fall into one category I would suggest that category is ‘jazz’.

Her voice is delicate and has a dreamlike quality about it. If you were to hear an angel sing then this is what it would sound like! Worrisome Heart is a truly magical selection of songs that you never want to end. Although only just over half an hour long the album feels like it goes on for a lot longer. However long the album lasted it would never be enough – this is music at its very best, pure and unadulterated quality.

Melody’s vocal style has been compared to many top female names including the legendary Eva Cassidy, Billie Holiday and Norah Jones to name just a few. I would like to add to that mix Katie Melua and the extremely talented jazz singer Madeline Peyroux. All that said I think Melody has a truly unique sound of her own – maybe because she harnesses all that is good from the singers she has been compared to and turned it into a sound all of her own? Melody’s vocals have a slightly raw sound to them and also an old sound as if she has been plucked from a time long gone by. These qualities give Melody’s vocals an extra edge and make her stand out from the crowd. For someone so young Melody makes music that sounds like she has been around singing and making records for years and years.
Melody’s debut album carefully combines jazz with a dash of folk; a hint of pop and a splash of old style country. All this whipped together makes for a truly outstanding and rather wonderful CD. This is an album for relaxing to after a hard day at the office, for lying in the bath and chilling out to or for that sophisticated dinner party. However that said this isn’t an album full of whimsical lyrics that you can brush under the carpet. This album contains cleverly crafted songs all written by Melody. A sultry photo on the album sleeve really adds to the highly polished performance Melody gives on this ten out of ten album.

I personally loved every one of the songs on the album and found it extremely hard to pick just one favourite or outstanding track. If I was pushed then I would have to say that – Love Me Like A River is my favourite on the album.

The opening track on the CD is also the title track – Worrisome Heart. As the music gets going you almost expect to hear the popular jazz song Summertime burst forth but this is not an album full of covers, all original songs on this CD; which it has to be said is something quite rare these days. Worrisome Heart is a song about men and finding a new man who will love the woman in the song even though she carries a lot of baggage and has a ‘worrisome heart’. This is a dreamy song with slow, atmospheric music to accompany it. The use of the trumpet and saxophone in this song really give it an added edge.

All That I Need Is Love is a catchy song with a lively tune. It is breezy and light, ideal for a summers evening. I am reminded of Madeline Peyroux when listening to this track. Again this song is about men and more importantly a lack of them. Love and men seem to play a big part in the lyrics of this exciting album.

Katie Melua comes to mind when listening to the delightful third track on the album called Gone. Melody manages to mix her vocal sound up on this album – from the dreamlike sounds of Madeline Peyroux to the deeper vocals of Katie Melua and beyond.

Sweet Memory has overtones of old style country music plus a hint again of Madeline Peyroux. Listening to this song it evokes an image in my mind of being out in the fields with the sun beating down on my back. The grass is dried up from the constant heat of the sun. I love it when a song is able to capture my imagination and this song does just that.

Melody is reminiscent of early Norah Jones in the song Some Lessons. I also think that there is a touch of the very talented singer Shelby Lynne in her vocals. I like this song a lot as it is very atmospheric – lyrically and musically. It is very true – some lessons we have to learn the hard way.

Another catchy song on the album is Quiet Fire, which features the lyric – ‘all I want is somebody to love me’. I love the use of the bass on this track – it really brings the song to life and takes it to another level. I am reminded here again of Shelby Lynne.

One Day is another striking song with a lovely trumpet section. ‘One day you will be mine’ Melody sings and I think after listening to her CD you are definitely under her spell – captivated forever by her magnificent vocal talents.

Love Me Like A River reminds me a little of the classic song - Cry Me A River. The music is a little similar yet the lyrics are very different. This is quite a dramatic song and you can feel the passion oozing out throughout the song. This strikes me as a song that is very dear to Melody’s own heart. I would love to see her perform this song live.

Goodnight rounds off the album and is another more up-tempo song. Again the bass features heavily in this track and really helps to set the tone and mood of the song.

The album ends with a short piece of dreamlike music featuring Melody on guitar. Although short it is a nice way to round off the album and still leave you wanted and longing to hear more.

Worrisome Heart is an album that only comes along once in a blue moon. An album that will live on in your heart and soul for years to come. Melody’s vocals have the ability to capture your emotions and your heart. I only hope and pray that it is not too long before another album bursts forth from Melody and listeners and fans can once again become absorbed in a sound that feels like you are in heaven.