Oh, My Girl

Oh, My Girl, Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter

In this earlier album, Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter hit the musical nail on the head, perhaps for the first time in their burgeoning career. Languorous, sensual, lovelorn and beautiful are four adjectives that struck me upon first hearing this wonder of a disc; with each successive listening the breadth and depth of Sykes' lyrics, composition and delivery amazed me more and more. And now, after over 100 auscultations, I've decided to promote it to one of the top ten albums in my music library, right up there with the more recent Like, Love, Lust and the Open Halls of the Soul. There is something mysterious, sad, yet incredibly hopeful in Jesse Sykes' music: it is this strange something that does not disappoint the listener, this something that keeps one glued to the stereo track by track, wondering what's next. Sykes has an almost Beatles-esque ability to build a theme and a mood throughout the entire album and end it on a high note. This is a blue mood, from the gorgeous opening title track to the grand finale, "Grow a New Heart." She and the band take us on a tour of the secret, tender and bruised spots of the heart while illuminating the dark corners that all lovers share. Simple but poignant lyrics, amazing backing by the Sweet Hereafter and straightforward sound production result in a true gem, but be forewarned: this is love music. Sharing this CD with a member of the opposite sex may result in amorous entanglements.
-Barbu