Jo Hamilton - Gown (Special Edition)
When Brit songstress Jo Hamilton released her epic art-pop-embroidered Gown in 2009, few would have predicted (but could hardly quibble with) the critical fawning that would accompany its breakout status. "Singular and unforgettable...quite a discovery" said The Guardian in one of many four-star reviews while another critic summed up the debut as “sophisticated, sensuous, complex, layered and utterly beguiling." Traveling constantly as a child, the classically-trained Hamilton drew upon her early musical influences in temporary homesteads in Cambodia, Turkey and Sri Lanka to bring Gown its special exotic feel, rhythms and soundscapes.
The result is heady musical brew of modern progressive pop, a lushly produced series of cinematic songs that simultaneously feel both classic in Kate Bush-styled scope yet agile and dark enough to bookend easily with Bjork and Bat for Lashes' Natasha Khan. Next week Hamilton's Gown gets altered slightly with a "special edition" of the album due in the U.K. with three bonus tracks added: "Alive Alive" (with the indescribable "air piano" -- video after the jump), a live version of "Release Us" and a radio remix of our fave "Think of Me" (peaking on the DC swoon-meter). This is grand and serious stuff, but always kept accessible with Hamilton's personal and sometimes playful touch. If you missed Gown the first time around, try it on for size now. Full original album stream at her website.
Jo Hamilton - "Think of Me" (from the album Gown)
Jo Hamilton - "Deeper (Glorious)" (from the album Gown)
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