Biography
Right from the outset, it's apparent that something special is going on here. As the album's opening song begins its journey - an epic, expansive journey that's simultaneously unpretentiously direct and personal - the listener is obliged to check the depths of memory for some kind of reference point, some comparison, as is by now customary. But there's none to be found, of course - the slow, muted rhythm, the echoing atmosphere, and the warm insistence of the bass create a canvas so visual it may well have been etched in light, and atop it all is a voice that could quite conceivably convey pain, joy and seduction in the space of a phrase. The song is Jaguar, the album it opens is named Speak, and the singer giving voice to her best collection of songs to date is Kerri Simpson. Kerri Simpson has been receiving plaudits and praise for her musical explorations for some years now, but her current voyage began in 1993 with the release of her debut EP as a solo artist, VéVé. The six-song, self-financed disc brought to the public stage a unique musical vision that, while containing elements of Kerri's musical evolution both in Melbourne and overseas, seemed to possess a life and world all its own. The EP, critically acclaimed and still selling well today, gave listeners their first hint of what to expect from Kerri Simpson, who was soon at work on the songs for her first full-length album. That record, The Arousing, was released in mid-1995. An ambitious work, the album expanded on ideas only hinted at previously, from the searing and relentless emotion of Ah Jole to the heartbreak of 51 Years, and the tribal chant that formed the basis for the title track. A unique, accomplished and challenging record, The Arousing established Kerri beyond any doubt as a truly vital and compelling artist. Now her new album, titled Speak, takes all that has passed and once again redefines it. Instantly accessible, yet filled with layers of exploration and invention just waiting to be uncovered, it's Kerri's finest work to date. The album was recorded in Melbourne last January by acclaimed producer and engineer Simon Polinski, with the now-permanent line-up of Kerri's live band - knowingly named VéVé - handling instrumentation. The core line-up of Randall Thain on guitars, Michael Davis on drums and Chris Rogers on bass were assisted for the album session by guest musicians including David Bridie, Bill McDonald and Karl Heard, with former White Cross singer and songwriter Peter Mather contributing vocals on two songs, most notably on I Remember, one of the album's emotional highlights. Kerri's unique musical and emotional vision is well in evidence on this album, but her songwriting skills have been honed to the point of near-perfection, cementing her as one of Australia's finest lyrical storytellers; the songs here will be welcomed with open arms by a wide audience. "Music that can find a home deep within the soul,
rather than just the head." |
