Album Review: Gin Wigmore - Gravel And Wine

Gin Wigmore returns with the follow-up to her 2009 debut Holy Smoke, a rather bold album entitled Gravel And Wine. Thankfully, Gin's musical style is something quite new to the popular music scene, a mixture of rock, folk and Latina music, among other styles, and one that is enjoyably diverse and unique as ever. The other plus is that each song seems to stand out with different concepts so, with most songs only clocking in at three or so minutes, this is an album full of songs that leave the listener gasping for more.

Upon first listen, Wigmore's voice may seem rather mono-tonal and possibly even a little irritating. However by Poison, the album's fourth track, her vocal diversity begins to show through. And by the closing track, Singin' My Soul, in which she is simply accompanied by an acoustic guitar, the listener is provided with a more raw and stripped-down song; a more intimate moment with Gin Wigmore.

Gravel And Wine is a most interesting album, one that provides a more than adequate blend of music with a fundamentally dark and grim vibe contrasted with feel-good fare, without it seeming even slightly awkward or disjointed. Gin Wigmore amazingly caters for appreciators of both styles of music, something that most others fail at or are too wary to try. Former fan or not, this is definitely an album not to be passed to the side, but to be consumed with a glass of wine. Or cool water…