Radiaxal arrived yesterday and I played it basically on a loop for a whole evening:-).

First of all, I liked the Grown Man's Tears mp3 a lot and appreciated it immensely that Jo finally decided to release the song via Radiaxal (it wasn't on the initial tracklist). So all ths is probably a bias.

Fans of harder stuff can obviously pass up this album, but curious listeners looking for female ingenuity will appreciate this exhibition of a poetic woman and her guitar. It continues the style and sounds of the material I've already heard, yet it shows she has grown and matured through the writing and recording of the album. If you liked the mp3s from the file section of the Ray Wilson Yahoogroup, you'll love Radiaxal!

Recorded at Grant's Kitchen studio it also shows evidence that you don't need more producers than album tracks to release a fine work based on purely acoustic structures. With this album Jo is undoubtedly showing us that the less flash and more heart in music is always a good thing (affinities to Ray Wilson here:-).

Radiaxal is strong, haunting and intensely personal. The opening track 'Another Day Goes By' is a tremendously personal song about 'the sweetness of losing' that builds in power and intensity. Based on this first 'Radiaxal' impressions, my fave Suzanne Vega albums (85 debut and Solitude Standing) sprang immediately to mind. It's really astonishing how 'Vegaish' Jo's voice sounds on this opener.

The rest of the album follows the pace set by this first track without being repetitive, and continues to show the even more mature Jo at her best, singing her own creations. Poetry and storytelling rolled into one. Songs like 'Easier Said Than Done' and 'Shadows And Stars' clearly demonstrates her creativity as a songwriter. A special song deserves to be mentioned here is 'Lady Day' another interesting acoustic setting where Jo shows her vocal variety. This song makes you hum..

Have I talked about the best three tracks on this album yet?

No:-)

Undoubtedly (and in my humble opinion) the tracks placed in the middle part of the album (5,6,7). Grown Man's Tears (of course;), So What (the torch song of the lot) and Paper Lady. Stunning melodies, catchy and subtle lyrics. Simply perfect acoustic material (did I say that I'm an advocator for acoustic stuff in general?..;-)

Enough for the rambling.

Radiaxal is a beautiful, spare instrumented album, lyrically poignant and stunning in its power and emotional intimacy. It is a great debut and one that builds the wait for a sequel.

Thanks to Harold the German for this review via email...