• Band / Artist : Nat Jay – mySpace
• Genre : Folk / Acoustic
• Sample Track Download : N/A
• Buy CD : CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes Pending
• Rating : 8.5 out of 10

There’s a new breed of female vocalist that seems to be all the rage at the moment. Gone is the sugar sweet, doe eyed facades to bland pop, replaced with women who know who there are, what they want and how to get it. K T Tunstall, Kate Nash, Serena Ryder and god forbid, Amy Winehouse come to mind. As soon as I heard Nat Jay’s EP, I knew this was something quite special. What makes it all the more special was that it was an unsolicited submission from one of the many PR companies I work closely with, who seem to know what kind of music is going to hit the spot.

This 6 track EP hits the spot, with the first track “Pick Up the Pieces”. With wonderfully distinct vocals that really get me excited, overlaid on a music track that manages to drive the song effortlessly without overpowering that wonderful voice. And oh that voice. The breathless velvet tone on “Love When I Can” manages to send chills up my spine. It’s not a secret that I have a soft spot for female vocalist, that manage to either bring something unique, or manage to sound like they are making love to the microphone, well here’s it’s double bubble and the aural senses are the winner.

“Daydreaming” reminds me of another artist whose name escapes me, it’s a fairly laid back track, but there’s a wonderful production to it, with an almost ethereal quality. The more this EP unfolded the more excited I got, but also the more anxious I got, as I just knew when the EP was over, I was going to feel somewhat at a loss, with a feeling of being cheated out of a full length album. “Lights Across the Sky”, the title track, is a great track, but one that I didn’t quite feel deserved title billing, as certainly the first 2 tracks are far stronger.

“On My Own” the penultimate track, mixes things up a little. A more uptempo track, but that feeling of intimacy is gone, replaced with something a little more sterile. It’s a niggly point, but with only 6 tracks, I didn’t feel this track was strong enough for the EP, more suited as an album track.The final track “Untitled” returns to the formula that I feel makes this an incredible EP. Certainly the second half, is not as strong as the first, but as an EP this is still pure magic.

Conclusion : A name that I was previously unaware of, but now one that I am eager to hear more from.