Thea Gilmore
Country of origin:
England
Type of music generally:
Alternative folk/rock
Status:
Most recent releases, Strange Communion (seasonal, 2009) and Recorded Delivery (live, 2009); most recent studio release of non-seasonal material, Liejacker (2008)
See also:
Thea Gilmore's site
Comparisons:
Ani Difranco, PJ Harvey
Covers/own material:
Own
General comments:
Thea Gilmore is a smart, edgy folk-rock singer with lyrics that touch on politics, religion, and other social issues. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Comments about live performance:
Things really picked up with the appearance of Thea Gilmore, whose Lipstick Conspiracies album got great reviews last year. With a rich, strong voice and really sharp lyrics (and, yes, great tunes) she definitely made an impression on me, and I will definitely be seeking out her music. She was also highly personable, with a good sense of humour. (5/01)
--
Thea played the Water Rats last night, an evocatively named venue near King's Cross (itself one of London's seedier areas, in the midst of a much-needed major facelift). On a warm, muggy night, this was probably the hottest, sweatiest, most crowded gig I've been to for a while. The place fits about 200, but was sold out and seemed packed with about 300. A more varied demographic mix than for Kathleen Edwards, with only a handful of middle-aged musos to keep me company, but a definitely good vibe for Thea. And she paid it back in spades. Looking particularly rock chick in a sleeveless t-shirt, she fronted a really tight band, and came across as fun, down-to-earth and genuinely pleased to be there. I thought she'd be mostly showcasing her upcoming album, Avalanche, but after playing a handful of songs from that, she varied the repertoire and threw in many from Rules for Jokers and even a couple from Songs from the Gutter. Although she's an acoustic guitar player, she didn't play much of it last night, content to let the band carry the instrumental weight (which they did with amazing versatility) and concentrate on the singing. It's hard to describe her voice: it's limited, but she works brilliantly within its limits: kind of a lower-key Joni Mitchell with a blues/folk/almost jazz-like bent, without Joni's high bits or vocal acrobatics.
Her talent—her great talent—is for a good tune and stunning, kaleidoscopic lyrical twists, and she can go (as she did) from the stomping blues of "Mud on My Shoe" to the haunting, desolate, small-wee-hours beauty of "Inverigo". Covers, too: she did a folked-up acoustic version of "Bad Moon Rising" which was stunning. All the new songs, unfamiliar as they were, sounded fantastic, too. Driving, forceful, focussed and immediate. If this is anything to judge by, Avalanche is going to be a great album. The acid test? My girlfriend— espite the wilting heat, the crowds and the lack of oxygen—thought it was brilliant, and is now a fan. (7/03)
--
Jeez, this was GOOD.
Last night, Thea played the Scala. When she came on, I thought she looked tired, and after the first number she admitted she had flu, and asked us to excuse her if she coughed, spluttered and/or passed out. The first few numbers suffered from a slightly dodgy sound balance, which threatened to drown out her vocals and blur the dynamics altogether, but after a brief acoustic portion (including the most wondrously haunting cover of "Bad Moon Rising") everything seemed to click and the evening took flight. Thea rose above her illness with grace and humour, performing for an hour and a half with commitment and an obvious sense of enjoyment, and managed to fill the space with one hell of a vibe. She played, naturally, a lot from her new one, Avalanche, and it was good to hear them stripped of the production of the disc—"Mainstream" sounded particularly reenergised, and she dedicated "Pirate Moon" to (Elliot Smith. She dipped into her back catalogue, as well, playing "Generation Y" from The Lipstick Conspiracies and healthy doses of Rules for Jokers (including a stunning "Keep Up" which she started off a cappella) and Songs from the Gutter. It was a fantastic evening, and when she came on for her first encore ("What a wanky ritual that is, eh?" she asked, echoing the thoughts of so many of us) she gave us a heartbreaking, simple version of Phil Ochs' "When I'm gone" and followed it with the lovely, haunting "Inverigo". I can honestly say this is the first gig that I've come close to weeping at. In a good way. She came back for another encore, and by her last song, the much-requested and stunning "Heartstring Blues", her voice was beginning to show the strain, but she gave it her all. When she went off and the lights came up, I was grinning like a maniac, and practically floated out of the place.
It had to be one of the best concerts I've been to in a long time, if not ever, satisfying on almost all accounts (okay, I'd of loved to hear "God Knows"), and I know for sure that there's no doubt: Thea Gilmore deserves to be massive. (11/03)
--
Nothing had prepared me for this gig, I have to say. Hot and weary and not in the best of moods, my default cynical state had already decided exactly what I was going to see. Nice to know that I can still be surprised. to say the least. I've never been so happy to be so confounded.
A low-key and simple set-up, an acoustic set consisting of Thea on guitar and vocals, Nigel Stonier on guitar, vocals, harmonica and piano, and a multi-talented woman called Fluff who managed cello, viola, guitar and backing vocals. I predicted something laid-back and....well, predictable, but had sorely underestimated Thea and my own capacity to love music.
She drew mostly from Liejacker, her new album with a few songs from Rules for Jokers, one from Avalanche and one from Harpo's Ghost and everything was great until Nigel took to the piano, Fluff took to the wings and Thea took to the mic for a spare, haunting "Icarus Wind", at which point I thought...wow.
Just...wow. I almost wept.
From then on, the evening was more than just "great". It became one of the all-time greats, for me, a truly incredible experience. A version of "This Girl Is Taking Bets", the number that—on the last tour—got the full electric treatment with Erin McKeown lending her guitar talents, this time round had only Nigel on acoustic guitar and Fluff laying down spiralling viola lines while Thea delivered her vocal with a manic energy and glee that made the air crackle. "Saviours and All" now contained a simple but devastatingly effective a capella vocal break, a new song called "God's Got Nothing On You", with just Thea on guitar and vocals, was utterly thrilling, and a traditional protest/folk song, the name of which I didn't catch, was enthralling. Sometimes I broke open with laughter, sometimes I broke down with tears. Sometimes it was hard to tell which was which.
For "When I Get Back to Shore", people were invited up on stage to sing along. Us being English, only about a dozen did, but apparently it beat the count in Glasgow, where only one person got up. The finale was a version of "The Lower Road" that ended with Nigel and Fluff walking offstage and leaving Thea to finish the song alone.
Throughout, as I've previously noted, Thea's voice was a wondrous, sensuous, bluesy thing, richer than it's ever been before and more beautiful than I'd ever imagined.
I left stunned and enchanted. Not much more one can ask from a gig, really. (6/08, adamk@zoom.co.uk)
Recommended first album:
Any, but Rules for Jokers is probably the easiest to find in the US
Recordings:
- Burning Dorothy )1998)
- The Lipstick Conspiracies (2000)
- As If ep (2001)
- Rules for Jokers (2002)
- Songs from the Gutter (2002)
- Avalanche (2003)
- Loftmusic (2003)
- Harpo's Ghost (2006)
- Liejacker (2008)
- Recorded Delivery (live, 2009)
- Strange Communion (seasonal, 2009)
Burning Dorothy
Release info:
1998—Shameless—shame 1200
Availability:
U.K.
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Thea Gilmore—vocals, acoustic guitar
Guest artists:
Nigel Stonier—guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, keyboards, mandolin, vocals
Mark Tucker—guitar, darabuka
Jim Bennion—guitar on 2 tracks
Paul Burgess—drums, percussion
Produced by:
Nigel Stonier and Mark Tucker
Comments:
I got the disc because of an ad and review I saw in Mojo that compared her to Ani Difranco. She's not really like her, except she has more interesting lyrics than most and does that same combination of contemporary folk and alt/pop rock. Rather like Susan McKeown (vocals) meets pre-Dilate Ani Difranco (sound). Though perhaps she doesn't have quite the vocal or songwriting range of those artists she approaches them, this is a very enjoyable debut disc and the songs really stuck in my head. It's a keeper.
She's got a rich, kinda deep voice without a tremendous range, but she knows how to use what she does have. The songs are intense and ironic (I guess another Ani-like characteristic), mostly rockers with softer moments. (Neile)
The Lipstick Conspiracies
Release info:
2000—The Naim Label, Southampton Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2LN, England—naim CD046
Availability:
U.K.
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Thea Gilmore—lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, cimbala
Guest artists:
Nigel Stonier—acoustic guitar, piano, mandolin, electric guitar (4), mellotron (2), backing vocals
Chris Sheehan—lead & rhythm electric guitars
Rod Clements—bass guitar, dobro (5), electric slide (10)
Jonny Bridgewood—double bass (4, 5, 9)
Dave "Munch" Moore—Hammond organ (9), Wurlitzer piano (4), Clavinet (4)
Roy Martin—drums, percussion
Paul Burgess—drums (2), percussion (1, 2, 8)
Ewan Davies—kalimba (3), programming (4)
The Testosterone Chorus (Nigel Stonier, Chris Sheehan, Roy Martin, Rod Clements)—vocals (1)
Produced by:
Nigel Stonier
Comments:
The Lipstick Conspiracies reminds me very much of Thea Gilmore's first album that I also quite liked, Burning Dorothy. They're very in the angry woman contemporary folk mode that so many artists are working in now, but there's something fresh about Thea Gilmore that I really like. It's the combination: her tunes and lyrics and her voice are strong and she manages to make them edgy without being strident. A breath of fresh air. (Neile)The earliest and the most pop/rock influenced of the three albums I own. (JoAnn Whetsell)
As If ep
Release info:
2001—Flying Sparks Records—TDBEP0054
Availability:
Limited edition numbered ep; available from website
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for Thea Gilmore fans
Group members:
Thea Gilmore
Guest artists:
Nigel Stonier
Ian Thomas—drums (1,2)Robbie McIntosh—lead guitar (1,2)
Produced by:
Nigel Stornier
Comments:
A 6-track ep, one of which is a cover song. A fine collection of Thea Glmore's work, with songs ranging from the energetic to the dreamy, all of course with her biting lyrics. (Neile)
Rules for Jokers
Release info:
2002—Flying Sparks Records—7 4343 2
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Thea Gilmore—acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, kalimba, cimbala, mbira, voice
Guest artists:
Nigel Stonier—acoustic and electric guitars, bass, piano, organ, harmonica, voice
Robbie McIntosh—electric guitars, acoustic slide, voice
Ian Thomas—drums, percussion, griddle pan on track 7
Oliver Kraus—cello
David Coulter—saw, tenor banjo, q-chord, slide didgeridoo, jaw harp, accordion
Dave "Munch" Moore—organ on track 13, harpsichord
Ewan Davies—percussion, organ on track 5, blue tube, finger cymbals, voice
Freyja Gilmore—voice on tracks 5, 10, and 13
Will Bartle—voice, cymbal on track 7
Sarah Jane Morris—voice on track 12
Steve Menzies—voice on track 12
Produced by:
Nigel Stonier
Comments:
I saw Thea opening for Tom McRae last summer, and thought she was really good. I still kick myself for not picking up her Lipstick Conspiracies when it surfaced at my fave Soho shop for a fiver, but I got her most recent album, Rules for Jokers, which is definitely ecto material and well worth checking out. It didn't grab me immediately, and her voice doesn't have much range or variety, but she's got a mean way with a lyric. (adamk@zoom.co.uk)Still not sure how to describe this (somewhere between Sheryl Crow and PJ Harvey? no, that's not really it either) but I do love it. Edgy lyrics and not-quite-as-edgy guitar and vocals. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Songs From the Gutter
Release info:
2002—Flying Sparks Records Limited—TDBCD066
Availability:
Available from website
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Thea Gilmore
Guest artists:
Rod Clements
Justin Richards
Ian Brown
Produced by:
Nigel Stonier
Comments:
Songs from the Gutter includes a bonus cd of unreleased material, Songs, and it sounds great: rockier than Rules for Jokers, but verbally as clever and as cutting as ever. (adamk@zoom.co.uk)
Avalanche
Release info:
2003—Hungry Dog Records—YRGNUHA1
Availability:
Wide in U.K.
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Thea Gilmore—vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, saw, xylophone, piano, melodica
Guest artists:
Nigel Stonier—acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, programming, Moog, Wurlitzer, bass, backing vocals, Rhodes, gut-string guitar
Paul Beavis—drums, percussion
Robbie McIntosh—electric guitar, National guitar, backing vocals
Jo Wadeson—bass
Mike Cave—programming, drums, 808 programmming, cymbal
Dylan Gallagher—programming
Dave Hull-Denholm, Freya Gilmore—backing vocals
Dave "Munch" Moore—Hammond organ
Oliver Kraus—cello
Ewan Davis—musical box
Produced by:
Nigel Stonier
Comments:
Everyone is right—Avalanche is her best album yet. The songs are especially urgent and compelling (with the exception of the way too I've-heard-this-same-song-dozens-of-times single "Juliet (Keep That in Mind)"—yuck!—I also find something just a little mean-spirited about the lyrics in "Juliet", which I don't in her other songs). So—skip over "Juliet" and listen carefully to the lyrics in the rest of this wonderful album. They will make you smirk and laugh and smart just a little from the barbs, and the tunes will stick in your head in a big way. All the rest of the tracks on this album make me want to hit repeat to hear them again, and when they're not playing on the cd player, they're playing in my head. I could name almost every song on the slbum, but my favourite tracks are the tough "Rags and Bones" and "Heard You Heard", and the yearning "Eight Months". The push she's getting in the U.K. for this album is right on—this should be her breakthrough album. (Neile)
Loftmusic
Release info:
2003—Hungry Dog Records—YRGNUHA2
Availability:
Website and live shows; some stores like Amazon.com are carrying it as an import
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Thea Gilmore—vocals, instruments
Guest artists:
Nigel Stonier—instruments
Mike Cave—instruments
Jim Kirkpatrick—National Steel on track 7
Produced by:
Nigel Stonier, Mike Cave
Comments:
Loftmusic is one of those things she sold through gigs for a long time and demand was good enough for her to decide to go public, as it were. There's a lot of good stuff in Loft Music, in particular her version of "Bad Moon Rising". It gets a bit mushy in the middle—her version of Neil Young's "Old Laughing Lady", in particular, is kind of formless—but it's short and sweet and full of goodness, and manages to avoid all the cliches you'd expect—no Drake, no Dylan, no Mitchell. (adamk@zoom.co.uk)Loftmusic, Thea's collection of covers, is a great mellow album, a bit like Songs from the Gutter, and an excellent counterpoint to the more aggressive and vibrant alternative rock of Avalanche. The closet song on that album might be "Razor Valentine." I can't comment on how the songs differ from their originals as I don't know any of the originals, but I'm very glad to know Thea's versions. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Harpo's Ghost
Release info:
2006—Sanctuary Records—SANCD394
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Thea Gilmore—lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonium, whistle
Guest artists:
Nigel Stonier—electric guitar, acoustic guitar, Wurlitzer piano, Hammond organ, harmonium, harmonica, bass pedals, organ, dulcimer, ukulele, backing vocals
Jim Kirkpatrick—electric guitars, dobro, backing vocals
Eric "Roscoe" Ambel—electric guitars, harmonium
Steve Evans—electric guitar, Hammond organ, Wurlitzer piano
James Hallawell—Hammond organ
Jo Wadeson—bass
Paul Beavis—drums, percussion
John Tonks—drums, percussion
Dave Hull Denholm—acoustic guitar, backing vocals, harmony vocals
Ewan Davies—electric guitar, e-bow electric guitar, percussion, programming
Ian Thompson—bass
Laura Reid—cello
Kathryn Williams—backing vocals
Mary Lee Kortez—backing vocals
Produced by:
Nigel Stonier
Comments:
I've been listening to Harpo's Ghost, her new one, and my feelings are decidedly mixed: There are some fantastic songs on it—"Everybody's Numb" thunders along nastily, "Call Me Darling" is surprisingly good for such a sentiment, and really catchy, while "We Built a Monster" is one of her best. Unfortunately, sometime around the middle, there's a run of songs—"The List", "Whistle and Steam", "Going Down" and "Contessa"—that I forget I've heard almost as soon as I've listened to them. It finishes with the wonderful "Slow Journey II," and the hidden track "Play Until the Bottle's Gone" has been a live fave for a while, my only caveat being that I think it belongs in the main flow of the album. The single, "Cheap Tricks" has a certain rocky charm and a great bass break, but I still don't think it's representative of her best...the b-sides are actually much better. I was hoping that this album would be THE ONE, if you know what I mean, but it's....it's not quite, I fear.
Still, there's time to grow, and I've found albums often come alive when you have a live performance memory to tie them to. I've got my tickets to see her. (adamk@zoom.co.uk)I'm thoroughly enjoying the new Thea Gilmore album. (Sherlyn.Koo)
Harpo's Ghost is an uneven album, but still worthwhile. It seems Thea was trying to make her songs more strident musically, so there are a number of hard rock anthems like "We Built a Monster" and "Cheap Tricks." I prefer the mellower songs. And although Thea's ballads are usually my least favorite tracks, "Slow Journey II" is definitely the best song on this album. The hidden track "Play Until the Bottle's Gone" is also really good. Overall it's not as strong an album as Rules for Jokers or Avalanche, but given a chance, it's a welcome addition to her collection. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Liejacker
Release info:
2008—Fulfill—FCCD 109
Availability:
UK
Ecto priority:
Recommended for contemporary folk fans
Group members:
Thea Gilmore—vocals, guitar, harmonium, percussion, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, National, bass, chimney hood, percussion, cymbals, dobro, chorus vocals
Guest artists:
Nigel Stonier—piano, mellotron strings, ukulele, acoustic bass, bass, harmonica, dulcimer, mandolin, baritone guitar, drums, chorus vocals. acoustic guitar, electric guitar, melodica
Mike Cave—percussion, drums, symbals
Roy Martin—drums, kitchen utensils, percussion
Laura Reid—cello
Ian Thomson—upright bass
James Hallawell—5 organs, Hammond organ
John Kirkpartrick—accordion
Jo Wadeson—bass
Jordan Oldfield—, chorus vocals
Kelly Rogerson—, chorus vocals
Joan Baez—duet vocal (4)
Dave McCabe—duet vocal (1)
Erin McKeown—backing vocals (6)
Steve Wickham—fiddle (4)
Produced by:
Thea Gilmore, Nigel Stonier, and Mike Cave
Comments:
Absolutely lovely. I was mightily apprehensive after this, what with Harpo's Ghost being, to me, a disappointment, and following wary "well, it will grow on me" reviews on forums, not to mention a non-too thrilled review from someone whose judgement I respect.
But, in the end, as far as I'm concerned, all's good.
This is just a lovely, lovely album. Warm, introspective and much more welcoming than the hard gloss and over-production of Harpo's Ghost, this is an album to immerse yourself in and surrender to, a wonderfully seductive display of beauty and maturity. Certainly, I miss the spikiness and edge of some of her earlier material, such as Songs from the Gutter, but the material on this album more than makes up for it. David McCabe of the Zutons duets on the opener and Erin McKeown helps out on "Dance in New York", not to mention Joan Baez duetting with Thea on "The Lower Road" (and their voices, in particular, blend stunningly) which she herself will cover in her next album. Even the bonus track, a cover version of Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round" fits neatly into place and is not, unlike the bonus track at the end of Harpo's Ghost and so many "surprise tracks", handcuffed to its predecessor, thus doing them both a disservice.
I once described Thea's voice as something like "limited, but works brilliantly within those limits". Over the last few years she has more than proved me wrong: hearing her sing, a cappella, the traditional "Parting Glass" at the end of her gigs was an epiphany, and the quality of her voice has grown enormously, developing a quality that can only be described as blues/folk. It's never sounded better, and on Liejacker it reveals itself as a heart-melting power to be reckoned with.
I realise I'm being a bit hyperbolic about this, but I really wasn't expecting to love this album as I do. It's breathtakingly gorgeous, and one that I cannot stop listening to. (adamk@zoom.co.uk)I have to say—I was really disappointed with this. Of all things it's predictable for the most part both musically and lyrically: something I never expected from Thea Gilmore. There are even a couple of tracks with a strong trendy Americana sound (where she sounds like she's having a lot of fun, but it sounds like everyone else's Americana does). However, exactly what annoys me about this album will probably endear it to a wider audience, something she's been hoping and working for for a long time, so I wish her the best. Adam is right about her vocals, though—they've never sounded better. (Neile)
This album is solid. From the first line—"I'm looking for an old soul"—it knows what it's about, and delivers: finely crafted, rustic folk-pop, all sung in Thea's rich voice. It's the perfect respite from the parade of '80s synth revival that doesn't seem to have an end in sight (not that some of it isn't good, but at some point, someone's got to say enough already). (lotterose @ gmail . com)
Recorded Delivery
Release info:
2009—Fulfill—068430002049
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Thea Gilmore—vocals, acoustic guitar, kazoo
Guest artists:
Nigel Stonier—acoustic guitar, piano, keyboards, harmonica, vocals
Fluff—fiddle, percussion
Jim Kirkpatrick—electric, acoustic, and slide guitars, vocals
Jo Wadeson—bass and vocals
Roy Martin—drums, percussion
Comments:
i've been listening to it pretty much more than anything else recently—truly a stunning album—about half the tracks are so good that they give me the chills. (gordoja@optonline.net)I like it a LOT, especially the inclusion of various unreleased songs such as "Concrete" (autobiographical and new to me) "Me and Frank Sinatra" (one of her best tunes ever, in my opinion) and "If You Miss Me At the Back of the Bus", a civil rights singalong she did on her last tour. There's also the welcome addition of a spine-tingling "My Own Private Riot" which she gave a rare outing to a couple of years ago and here features a manic guitar solo (sorry, don't have the liner notes to hand to give credit where it's due). The album, although it takes live tracks from a couple of years' worth of tours and many venues, evolves as it goes along, starting with just Thea and her acoustic guitar and then adding more musicians until you have the full electric blast of "My Own Private Riot". My only niggle is that, once you get the full band, there is a tendency for some of the tracks to sound a bit too faithful. That said, it's good to hear "Everybody's Numb" divorced from the shiny production of Harpo's Ghost, and "Rags and Bones" has a wonderful vitality to it. I find myself looking forward to her promised "Christmas" album with none of the dread I usually reserve for such seasonal fare. Honorable mention for best of the year if only for "Concrete", the stunning "You and Frank Sinatra", and the blistering live version of "My Own Private Riot". (adamk@zoom.co.uk)
It is wonderful! I don't usually consider live albums for my "best of the year" list but this one is an exception. Her rendition of "My Own Private Riot" on that album is particularly a stunner and I love that new song "Concrete". Thea never ceases to totally amaze me... (onyx@vianet.ca)
As good as everybody says. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Thanks to JoAnn Whetsell for work on this entry.
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