Jennifer Pearl - When Will I Let You Go

Hear The Track Here

Older residents of the asylum we call Soundclick are well used to the amount of 'phases' this site goes through, especially in forum activity and right now Critics Corner is undergoing a rapid - and very welcome - expansion to its activities. For months and months it tottered along on what looked like decidely dead legs and then - within a couple of months - the amount of credible, committed and useful reviewers shot through the roof. Being one of the longest serving prisoners of the good ship Soundclick, I can remember long periods where it seemed like only Cam and I stuck our fingers in the dykes. In case you hadn't guessed yet, Jennifer Pearl, is one of those new reviewers and - I admit - I looked forward to hearing this track more than most for that reason. You can tell a lot about people from the way they look at a tune and then describe their feelings and I liked what Jennifer had to say from the get-go.

But would it, my harsher side grated, transfer as well to her own music?

Jennifer describes herself as 'really just a singer/songwriter with a laptop, GarageBand, and a crappy mic' and I'd say she does indeed fit that bill. Having spent 10 years of my life recording and documenting various strains of American music, I instantly recognised where Jennifer was coming from and moreover, that she had the chops to do it too. I can't put my hand on my heart and swear that this is the best thing since the last best thing but there is no doubt that Jennifer has a lot to offer, musically and vocally. It is going to help if you like the more balladic side of music, and appreciate nuanced female vocals but when all is said and done the only thing that really counts is the song.

When Will I Let You Go is a terrific song, even the stripped down version Jennifer has no choice but to offer (and btw the mic isn't THAT crappy, I've heard a lot worse). Where I see this really doing well is if someone collaborated with her to really bring out the orchestral side of this track which Jennifer just touches on, it would be a killer tune and no mistake. As it is, its a fine track. In fact, its very simplicity even helped me to get over my normal feelings when faced with a ballad. As you know, I'd rather kick one in the nuts than listen to one but if I had to then Jennifer has first dibs. Much more to the point I have an abiding love of the female voice and Jennifer's has a stature and maturity to it that sends shivers down my spine, regardless of how basic the sound is. It helps, of course, that she also has the most intoxicating eyes on Soundclick EVER but that's yet another story... Beautiful piano-led vocal ballad - and I don't get to say that very often.

Highly Recommended.