Nashville, TN. (Top40 Charts/ Signature
Sounds Records) - Like a throwback to the music performed in a whiskey-soaked dance hall, the third record from
Boston songwriter Eilen Jewell, Sea of Tears, is an honest narrative of a woman journeying in and out of love.
Set for release on April 21, 2009, through Signature Sounds, Jewell is more Dusty Springfield than Gillian Welch. Sea of Tears finds the artist acknowledging her electric influences and the roots of rock and roll on the album's twelve tracks. She pays homage to the British invasion of the sixties, bands like The Kinks and The Animals; her forlorn, yet confident, delivery matches slow rock and resonant guitar sounds throughout the record. Although nine of the tracks are Jewell originals, the entire album could easily have been recorded forty years earlier.
Sea of Tears has a smooth sliding pace that is punctuated by a chill of sharp guitar. The tone can be summarized in the words of "Shakin' All Over," a cover of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates' recording, where Jewell expertly explains the album's sound in the lyrics, "Quivers down the back bone...shakin' all over." The slow syncopation on the record hits the listener like ice water on a hot sunny day, unexpected but appreciated.
The album was recorded along with her touring band; a tried and true ensemble of Jewell, Jason Beek (drums, harmony vocals), Jerry Miller (electric, acoustic, and steel guitars), and Johnny Sciascia (upright bass). The rapport of years touring together along with the musical talent are album highlights; the support behind Jewell's vocals augments her confident presentation and lets her heartfelt lyrics stand out against the backdrop. The four musicians merge to produce a tight swagger that cascades through the album.
Stated as the album opens, "There's only one constant in this whole world, that's nothing ever stays the same." Jewell references mortality in the song, but the sentiment can be applied to her dynamic musical style. Eilen Jewell is a multi-faceted artist whose previous two records, Boundary County (self-released, 2006) and Letters from Sinners and Strangers (Signature Sounds, 2007) received national attention for their crisp, organic feel.
After the release in April, Eilen and her band will tour up and down the East coast in some of the nation's most well known venues; touring in support of the record, Jewell will transform the stage around her into a performance arena of the 1950s and 1960s. From Vermont to North Carolina, Jewell and her band will captivate listeners with her timeless narratives all over the country.
