"Jemma Nicole – My Darkest Hour"

Some bands and artists may not qualify for a dedicated article, but definitely deserve a blog post. This is the first of six blog posts in a series of female artists or female-fronted bands that will be published under 2024. We will start with Jemma Nicole, an artist from Melbourne, Australia. Let me start by saying that not all people are surfing in Australia. The sundrenched continent has its dark moments too. In fact, the continent is known for producing dark and gothic-influenced music. In my line of work you will be constantly wading through a quagmire of statements and platitudes. There is a difference between writing and storytelling. The copywriters of the world surpass themselves in their pursuit to stacking clichés, breaking through the noise and to get attention. However, this elaborate declaration caught my attention: "Haunting and beautiful, Jemma Nicole’s gritty, country noir is born from a love of sad songs and the darker side of Americana. Imagine Nick Cave and Hope Sandoval on a double date with Glenn Danzig and King Dude with Johnny Cash waiting the table. You’re getting close." This sounded fabricated, but Jemma Nicole lives up to the hype. Her debut album from 2016 is called "My Darkest Hour". And it's a dark album with a thematic consistency exploring the darker corners of life. The best songs are "To Late To Save My Soul", "Only A Man", "The Killing Of Me", "My Darkest Hour", "Perfume, Cigarettes And Wine", "Whiskey Shivers", "If I Had A Gun" and, last but not least, a cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene". The arrangements are simple, yet well-constructed, and built around the passionate vocals. This is so much better, than all the copiers, fakers, imitators, impersonaters and imposters out there. You can buy a cd copy from her Bandcamp page.