After delving into the hinterlands of Americana and her personal memories on her two previous albums, Are We There Yet and Yours Aye, Jill Jackson returns with an album which is much brasher and, at times, poppier, than its predecessors. As she says of herself, she’s been considered “too Country for Pop or too Pop for Country. I’ve never fit the mould.” On Curse Of The Damned Jackson simply breaks out of that mould as she ranges from the pummelling rock of Knock Next Door to the mid sixties Nashville themed regret which is portrayed in the excellent Avalanche.
The album opens with the title track, a glossy song with a radio friendly chorus which doesn’t hint at the subject matter which is the cost of living with ADHD. Several of the songs on the album allude to mental health and wellness -and Jackson is quite open about her struggles – but here she rises above them on a storming song which features Ron Block (of Alison Krauss fame) on banjo. Standing At The Edge is another song begging to played on radio, a dramatic ballad with Jackson’s voice quite intense as she sings about a toxic relationship while Wake Me Up is a jaunty, almost rockabilly roustabout with Jackson tackling those nightmare dreams we all have sometimes.
For this reviewer it’s the more stripped back numbers which stand out. The plaintive piano and pedal steel layered lament of Misunderstood is a mature reflection on overcoming obstacles and Back When I Was Wilder finds Jackson looking back on her pop stardom days armed with her present day wisdom. She sings this over some lovely pedal steel, piano and strummed guitar which add a resigned country rock air to the song. The closing song, Kaleidoscope, has a gospel like structure with Jackson’s voice multitracked in the opening refrain on a song which we reckon is destined to be an audience favourite.
We should mention also Jackson’s Lonesome Lament, a song dedicated to the late Rab Noakes with its glistening guitar and lonesome harmonica (played by Fraser Spiers). It’s a wonderful send off to a man who had struck up a fruitful partnership with Jackson over the years and it’s echoed in Jackson’s liner notes where she pays tribute to Rab.
Blabber 'n' Smoke 