This album will easily sit between my favorite albums. It is probably one of the best records of the year. I fucking love it!!!
I was present at Gemma Ray's support gig for Nick Cave's awesome Grinderman at Copenhagen's Vega in 2011. After a few songs the crowd understood that this was really great and she got more applause afterwards than most support acts I've ever seen in Copenhagen. I've bought a few of her other albums. I really like "The Leader" and I kinda dislike "It's A Shame About Gemma Ray". Well, rock'n'roll and let all that jazz hang out with strings: I love Gemma's new album, plain and simple.
It's got that kinda jazzy, vintage and almost Caribbean feel to it, but most of all, it feels very warm, happy and lovely. It sounds like a tropical island. It's like, when you first time heard Lily Allen kick it off on "It's Not Me, It's You". I've also heard it described as Norah Jones colliding with the drugs of Amy Winehouse. I have no fucking clue really, but Gemma Ray hits a home-run and a strike here. It's a perfect album.
To top it off, you get a bonus: "How Do I Get To Carnegie Hall?" (practice, Ma'am! practice...). Taken from a single, it fits in well and makes a lovely album.
Did I make it clear to you?: BUY IT! This is the best album of it's kind that you'll ever own - and not to mention: It rules!
Rating: 
Band: Gemma Ray
Record Title: Island Fire
This Release: 2012
Record Format: LP
Record Label: Bronze Rat
Content Type: Record Review
Language: 
Updated: 2012-04-28 05:19
Created: 2012-04-28 05:13
