Still only a precocious 19 years of age, SIOBHAN PARR already has over five years of experience under her belt in this unforgiving business. As well as her own intimate acoustic soirees, she's chalked up collaborations/tours with the well-respected likes of Alabama 3 and Evan Dando over the past couple of years: not to mention becoming a semi-permanent member of South London's premier Alt.Country outfit Grand Drive en route.
Quite a pedigree in itself, then, but wait until she opens her mouth. That's when the superlatives really start, because - for a debut album - "Repeat To Fade" is both stunning and wise beyond its' years.
Granted, Siobhan's surrounded by quality musical accomplices. Manning both the drumstool and producer's chair is Sinead O'Connor's ex-hubby John Reynolds, while his rhythm section partner in crime is ex-Aztec Camera/ Edwyn Collins bassist Clare Kenny. Guitars and keyboards, meanwhile, are cared for by Jah Wobble's old mucker Justin Adams and various members of Grand Drive, in favour-returning mode.
All good for cameraderie and confidence, and certainly these notables make their presence felt during a string of tasteful, inventive and beautifully-weighted arrangements. However, even in such exalted company, Siobhan Parr is very much the star here and it's her songwriting nous and whiskey'n'honey-laced delivery that gets these seasoned campaigners jumping through hoops.
There's precious little slack throughout. The free-spirited, jazzy pop of opener "Lose My Dress" is a fine introduction, with Reynolds' martial drum rolls pushing and pulling at her muse, while her vocals on this track alone are fiery, feisty and quite phenomenal.
Broadly, the backdrop is folk-rock, but the arrangements are fluid and fantastic, and there's a distinctly spiritual, soulful feel to many of the tunes,not least the dowbeat'n'delicious "Too Much To Ask" and the classy, melancholic lilt of "Hold Me", which is couched and cushioned by Adams' expressive guitar.
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Ordinarily, it would be easy to choose these songs as obvious stand-outs, but such is the quality of "Repeat To Fade", that most of the tracks jockey for position. If pushed, though, this writer would suggest both "The Joker" and "Woman I Am" deserve especially high billing. The former is a deep, soulful tale of love as a poker game, with Parr emoting: "If it's love that I'm feeling, what cards are you dealing tonight?" as Adams unleashes the liquid gold, while "Woman I Am" casts Siobhan in a rather more predatory light, quaffing from a delta-blues bottle and gving it her best female Paul Rodgers as Reynolds' batters out a levee-busting tattoo and Adams' guitar gets all slithery and fork-tongued.
The idea of album's closing track - a cover of Tim Buckley's "Buzzin' Fly" - intially brought out merely indignance in me. Foolish child, I thought: you don't approach Tim Buckley and escape unscathed. Little did I know what would ensue. Armed with only a fragrant acoustic guitar, a hushed audience and THAT voice, Siobhan simply glistens through the song and makes it her very own. It's quite a feat and if you don't believe me, well simply try it for yourself. It's revelatory.
It's not often a young performer of this calibre eases out of the woodwork and into our lives, but Siobhan Parr really is something else. If I tell you we're talking the same class as the likes of rare talent such as Mary Margaret O'Hara and Suzie Ungerleider, you need to take note and do two things: buy "Repeat To Fade" immediately and see her live while she's still in the clubs. On this form, those intimate acoustic soirees will soon become a thing of the past.
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