It is a hazard of reviewing independent releases that you they don't get to you until long after their release date. That was the case with this debut album from Manchester's Maria Jordan.
Anyway, to the words on the music. This album shows a surprising maturity for what is Ms Jordan's first album. She wrote all the songs and has managed to neatly avoid all the expected clichés. There is a lack of pretension in the way she writes, for example. The subjects of her songs get tackled directly but not without emotion. She doesn't analyze like Carly Simon would. Her reaction is from the heart. Try "Laundry" for a fine example of what I'm talking about.
The sound quality does Ms Jordan's voice few favours as it falls into the modern idiom of squeezing everything flat. Loud is not necessarily best especially when you have someone who can express subtlety like Ms Jordan can.
What sells this album is Ms Jordan's affecting voice and those very real songs that many will be able to relate to. Sure, it's a commercial approach but it works. I hope she does well as I don't think I'll grow tired of listening to her for quite some time.
Available from CD Baby amongst other places.