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Reviews & Articles
The Thing About Clouds (Review by Colin Hall)
“Singer-songwriter Clare J Mee plies her trade as a busker. With one unaccompanied/busking album (The Unquiet Brave) to her credit The Thing About Clouds marks her solo recording debut with a band and all her own self-penned songs.
It has much to recommend it. Couched somewhere between the ‘cool’ grooves of jazz and the acoustic warmth of folk, Mee’s record also boasts a sure ‘pop’ ethic in its excellent arrangements.
The success of any album however lies in its songs and it is here that the album scores highly for Mee writes melodically with a good ear for strong choruses and a lyric intelligence that means not only does she have something to say but says it well and memorably.
She also knows a thing about texture and so on songs such as ‘Quietness’ the use of a cello underpins the vocal with a superbly understated grace as does the sublime acoustic guitar that accompanies Mee’s tender delivery on the excellent ‘Only Something I’d Heard’.
On such songs Mee emerges as a fine interpretive singer. The Thing About Clouds is surprisingly accomplished, well worthy of attention.”
Colin Hall (of “What’s On In London” and “Bullit”) June 2004
“Astute singer-songwriter”
Guardian, July 3rd 2004
“Cool jazz grooves and folky warmth from this talented songstress”
Time Out, June 30th 2004
Launching “The thing about clouds …” at The 12 Bar Club in Soho
In February 2004 I heard Sarah Jane Morris on Woman’s Hour on Radio 4 and knew immediately that she would make a wonderful mentor for my music career – particularly for the part of it that involves getting me in out of the rain and into venues and clubs!
She is just lovely and I’ve been working with her since then. She did us the fabulous honour of coming to introduce us when we had the launch party/gig for “The thing about clouds…”.
The 12 Bar Club was packed with the best of lovely fans who thoroughly enjoyed our set. Thanks to all those who came.
Badly Drawn Boy
You might remember Badly Drawn Boy going out busking for one of his videos - he didn't make much and a BBC Online journalist thought it might make a fun piece for a professional busker (me) to give him some tips.
Slightly embarassing idea to give tips to a best-selling musician but the result is below...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2798281.stm
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