Melody Gardot is one of those talents that comes along from
time to time which is totally out of step with what the
recording industry considers ‘hip’ or ‘popular’
at the time, but who nonetheless succeed over time due to
the complete honesty of that talent. Her debut disc, Worrisome
Heart, brings to mind, variously, Rickie Lee Jones,
Bette Midler, Leon Redbone, Madeleine Peyroux, Nick Drake—all
musical originals, like Gardot herself. Melody grew up playing
piano in Philadelphia piano bars and clubs from the age
of 16. This no doubt influenced the effortless, late-nite
vibe that characterizes her work on Worrisome Heart,
a vibe that hides the incredible effort that Gardot has
put into writing and performing this music.
At 19, Gardot suffered a host of physical
and neurologic injuries when she was hit by a car while
riding her bicycle. She continues to suffer pain and disability
from a broken pelvis, requiring her to use a cane as well
as a special unit that uses electric impulses to distract
her body from chronic pain, wears dark glasses to counteract
continued photosensitivity, and suffers from short term
memory loss. But her focus is on her continued ability to
make music: “Two years later (after the accident),
to date, I was sitting in the cutting room surrounded by
incredible musicians with the opportunity of a lifetime.
Part of me still doesn’t believe it.”
All of the songs on Worrisome Heart are
originals, revealing Gardot to be a very talented songwriter.
Some will no doubt hear a bit of a Norah Jones vibe here,
and that’s not completely off the mark, but Gardot
seems to offer a bit more overall passion and soul to her
delivery here. While Gardot is not really a jazz singer,
her vocal style is shot through with blues and late-nite
cabaret singing, recalling bluesy white singers like Peggy
Lee. At the same time, her languid style is not really in
step with what is the most popular mainstream style these
days. She sounds timeless, neither wholly retro nor contemporary,
with the ability to exist between worlds in the best possible
way.
Gardot invites comparisons with some contemporary
(or at least modern) singer/songwriters, and it’s
worth noting that most of them are (or were) considered
mavericks. Because of the intimate nature of her music,
one cannot help but hear traces of Finoa Apple, Nick Drake,
and Jeff Buckley here, but then, Gardot is not like any
of them, she simply exists in her own musical world the
way that they did. The sheer beauty of songs like “Love
Me Like a River Does” or “Sweet Memory”
or the title track is conveyed in lyrics that are simple
and direct and performances that are equally uncluttered.
Worrisome Heart is the debut of a major talent,
and should be heard by everyone who loves an understated,
late-nite vibe and talent that states, rather than screams,
its case.
