The New Zealand-born, Australia-residing Jess Cornelius possesses a voice that could deliver nearly anything with some conviction. Thankfully, the songs on her newest release are fairly strong. Distance, out on Friday via Loantaka Records, is one of this week's most pleasant surprises, and an indication that Cornelius is an artist that deserves a lot of attention.
"Kitchen Floor" sways with a faint Shelby Lynne-like swagger, while "Body Memory" marries that kind of thing with a very Eighties-style electronic undercurrent. The effect recalls Martha Davis and The Motels, and it's a good thing that the hook here is just as good as anything by them or that comparison would be unwarranted. Elsewhere, "Easy for No One" and "Born Again" are mellow and understated, even as "Palm Trees" finds Jess channeling early K.D. Lang as the song ramps up from a slow-burn start. It's one of the highlights of Distance, and along with "Street Haunting" evidence that Cornelius has found a way to do something new with stuff like this. Every cut here is superbly suited to Jess Cornelius' voice, and nary a note or arrangement seems ill-considered, and Distance overall seems like a little masterpiece.
Distance is out on Friday via Loantaka Records.
More details on Jess Cornelius via the official Facebook page.
[Photo: Rachael Pony Casells]