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Gilly Darbey: Just Like a Woman

While this CD was recorded in Australia, Gilly Darbey is now apparently based here. Contained within is a selection of famous tunes, bar one original, which is an equal to its companions. Norah Jones's Come Away With Me is the opener and Darbey's lovely improvisations immediately strike the heart. She reminds me in places of Joan Baez, Katie Melua, early Joni Mitchell and even Eva Cassidy. These are just references, and while her roots are firmly in folk, her style is classic and her own, her voice ageless and agile. Don McLean's And I Love You So is an emotive listening experience, as are most of the tracks. I didn't think I would enjoy yet another version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah but Darbey made it as definitive and moving as any. Further down the tracklist she experiments more with blues attitudes, but she is a queen of accessible folk. The excellent featured acoustic guitar playing is most likely her own, though not clearly specified on the CD sleeve. Her performances are captivating on the first listen and only get better after that. A magical little gem that is easy to love. For more info visit: www.gillydarbey.com

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