Jade Bird - Jade Bird

„Something American“ hieß 2017 die erste EP von Jade Bird. Vielleicht ein wenig zu amerikanisch für meinen Geschmack ist das Gemisch aus Americana, Folk und Rock, das die mittlerweile 21-Jährige auf ihrem selbst betitelten Debütalbum, das von Simon Felice (The Felice Brothers) und David Baron (Lenny Kravitz, Peter Murphy) produziert wurde, kredenzt. Überrascht stellt man dann fest, dass es sich bei Jade Elizabeth Bird um eine Engländerin handelt, aber First Aid Kit würden ja auch musikalisch als US-Amerikanerinnen durchgehen. 

In den letzten 15 Monaten hat Jade Bird sechs Singles veröffentlicht, die mit Ausnahme von „Furious“ auch den Weg auf ihr Album fanden. Somit kennen Menschen, die den Verlauf ihrer noch junge Karriere verfolgt haben, bereits die Hälfte von „Jade Bird“. Allen anderen seien nun „Lottery“, „Uh Huh“, „Love Has All Been Done Before“, „I Get No Joy“ und „My Motto“ sowie lobende Plattenkritiken präsentiert. In ihrer Heimat wird die Musik von Jade Bird auf jeden Fall wahrgenommen, denn dort erreichte sie Platz 10 der Album-Charts. 

You can feel that Stateside influence creep into album, which was recorded in upstate New York by Bird and her band. Take ‘Going Gone’, which sounds like if Dua Lipa’s ‘New Rules’ was concocted mid-hoedown at a chaotic bar in Nashville, with its lightening pace and withering putdowns (One, two, four – come on babe there’s the door / Five, six, seven eight, I’m your girlfriend – not your mate). More American heroes, like Lana Del Rey and Lady Gaga find their ways into the assured performances on opener ‘Ruins’ and the superb string-laden ‘17’, where she balances poise and conviction with skill.
‘Jade Bird’ has the edge of an assured debut album and is a startling introduction to a British talent who looks set to take the States by storm. Whatever she decides to do with the next set of songs – build them bold and brash, or strip them back to considered jams – it’s hard to imagine them failing on her anytime soon.
(NME)

The album delivers consistency in theme and sound, and this makes highlights-picking more challenging, but the infectious and angry vibrancy of ‘Uh Huh’, a song carried by the sound of a rich steel guitar and Bird’s more shouty vocals on ‘Love Has All Been Done Before’ are clear contenders. The piano-led ‘If I Die’ surprises with its quiet but gradual build-up and the interjection of emotional outbursts.
There are no two ways about it, it is a tremendous debut and the quality is beyond question. But when it comes to looking at the possibility of this being what’s to pave the way for Jade Bird’s breakthrough on Angle-American ground, it is tempting to view the risk of her being seen as too American for British audiences, and the reverse; too British for the Americans.
(Clash Music)

With regards to Jade Bird, it’s a very digestible and fun debut LP. The record for the most part stays upbeat, her rural folksy wails providing the bread and butter for the majority of the choruses while the instrumental backing remains rooted in paced acoustic guitars and raw drumming that gives the experience a live feel. There’s no denying that the primary attraction here is Bird’s unique voice, which may feel like it’s made for rock but is capable of singing any style – whether it’s the frantic and confident ‘Uh Huh’ or a more subdued number like ‘17.’ The record offers listeners just about every hue in the tempo spectrum, shaking things up with ease thanks to Jade’s nimble range.
(Sputnik Music)

The 20-year-old ingénue is not all country, she's rock 'n' roll too. Benefitting from the likes of Courtney Barnett's mold-breaking indie sensibilities, "I Get No Joy" is rollicking good, with jangly rhythms and quick fire barbs about the state of existential despair that we're all prone to. When she implores "what do you need?' she manages to sound like the version of Bob Dylan that gives us most comfort. (…)
There’s no doubt Bird is the complete package: Deft songwriting, outstanding vocals that glide effortlessly between honey and hessian, plus oodles of attitude to boot.
(Under The Radar)