Josephine Foster is amazing....so there!

On Thursday night we took a trip to Coventry to see Josephine Foster.

Anna drove over and after spending a frustrating 30 minutes negotiating an entirely baffling road system, we parked and found the venue and went inside. Then we were told that the gig was at the 'other' venue. Unable to face getting back on the ringroad horse, we all jumped in a cab and were soon there. I can't remember the name of either venue. Coventry is only 20 miles away from where we live, so I'm always amazed what a monumental pain in the arse it is to actually get there and go about your chosen business. There was a lot of swearing in the car.

Anyway, so I came across Josephine Foster in late 2005 when a friend played me her album "All the Leaves are Gone" which she recorded with a full band and shortly afterwards I heard the solo, acoustic album "Hazel Eyes, I will lead you", both of which were released on the Chicago-based Locust label. Both albums are amazing and whilst they are quite different they are held together by the strength and originality of her voice, which is where the trouble usually starts.

See, I've been eulogising this music pretty much since I first heard it and I've faced wildly different reactions. A handful of people have felt the same was as I do but the majority have ran from the room screaming "Make it stop, make it stop!!". I'll be the first to concede that her voice is out of the ordinary and I can see how it would divide people - Quite simply, you will either love it or hate it and indeed Josephine has described herself as 'a failed opera singer', which is pretty damn accurate.

In terms of our own ranks, Anna absolutely loves it and Cam totally hates it. Ho hum. Despite this internal bun fight the fact remains that the last track on our (yawn!) forthcoming album is inspired by her.

Make your own mind up.

Listen:



















From "All The Leaves Are Gone" : Who Will Feel Bitter At The Days End?



















From "Hazel Eyes, I Will Lead You" : The Golden Wooden Tone


Mmm?

If you didn't run from the room screaming then there are a couple of other releases to track down. A newer album on Locust called "A Wolf In Sheeps Clothing", on which she sings entirely in German (That's right, I said German) and also an uber-limited seven-song 7" (which my friend managed to get for me off of Ebay!) available from Australian label Art School Drop Out that contains one of my favorite tracks, "Sunny Moony Starry Rainy Cloudy Sky".

So. After defending this music for the last 18 months I was chuffed to finally see her play live. She completely delivered and live her voice is even more astonishing. It is completely flawless and seemingly effortless. In a small, intimate venue in front of about 30 people sprawled on sofas and in armchairs it was all the more special. The horrendous journey was well worth it.

xx