Jess Glynne - I cry when I Laugh

Jess Glynne started her life on a down note getting rejected by the X-Factor at the young age of fifteen. But since then she has become a household name with you not being able to go anywhere in the UK without hearing one of her songs, coming out of a radio or on an advert or played in a club, pub or shop. 

We have all heard her song with Clean Bandit 'Rather Be' and her singles 'Don't be so hard on Yourself, Right Here, Why Me' and the anthem 'Hold my Hand'. And course you all know the Clean Bandit song I mentioned before and the other one she did with them called 'Real Love'. The thing I have noticed about Jess is her ability to do very different songs, from genres that you don't expect her to delve into. Which is a very creditable thing so maybe why the UK has Glynne fever.

I have to be honest, these songs have been driving me insane. So I wanted to know, what it is all about and why so many people lover her by listening to her debut album 'I cry when I Laugh'. The Album has a massive nineteen tracks, it opens with the haunting and tripping 'Strawberry Fields'. An intro that takes me back to late night radio back in the 90's. 

The first song on the record 'Gave me Something' mixes up 90's Dance and Soul, and feels a little dated. Your really feel that this was recorded twenty years ago, this is not to say it's not good. It just doesn't feel very modern to me, but I feel Retro is coming back... so maybe she is on to something. I really feel she has got inspiration from Florence and the Machine on her big anthem 'Hold my Hand', which is a really cleverly written Pop song. 

Again the songs chorus sounds a little dated, back to the 90's but you can see this working really now in a Gay nightclub or festival experience. You all have seen how well it works on the radio and TV commercials. 'Real Love' one of the songs she did with Clean Bandit is one of the best on the album. It has a Hard House beat to it, mixed with a 90's Pop sound. It's a Dance floor tune, that is great to move and groove to and I really like the high parts.

'Ain't got far to Go' goes back to Old School R&B and Soul, and is really catchy and sounds like a track you might have heard before. It does get a little on your nerves after a while, so if your flat mate is playing this in her room constantly I think you would want to break the door down and smash her Hi-Fi or radio. Jess shows her sentimental side on the track 'Take me Home', which is one of the most grown up tracks on the album and shows how she is going to evolve as an artist. 

One of the tracks that grabbed my attention at the beginning, and then lost me later because it's a little monotonous was the single 'Don't be so hard on Yourself'. This song does have great strings and orchestration to it, but don't think it is a song that will survive the test of  time. She get's clearly lyrically on the punchy 80's inspire 'You can find Me' and the Soulful 'Why Me' and Love Me'. But I have to say at this point their is a bit of a dip on the album and some of the songs start to sound a little similar vocally.

'It ain't Right' has a great Retro Funk vibe to it and 'No Rights, No Wrongs' has a feel good up temp feel. For me one of the low points is her duet with Emeli Sande, I think it's not either artists best song and it just seems a little out of place on the album. I really like 'Right Here', the Dance elements are really well put together and brings up you attention more to the album again.

'Home' and 'Bad Blood' don't really need to be on the album, as well as the acoustic version of 'My Love' even though this is nice. These songs would have worked much better as b-sides to the singles. 'My Love' was her single with Route 94 and the fact they have added this and her song massive hit with Clean Bandit 'Rather Be' to the end of the album is a very smart move and I can fault it. Their the songs that everyone that listen's to Jess Glynne wants hear, and I think are two of her best tracks.

Ok!!! I have to admit I wouldn't find myself putting it on, Jess Glynne is not really my thing... for some reason she really irritates me and I can't explain it. But it's a great Pop record and I really have to swallow my pride, and admit that. I am sure we have not see her best work yet. Jess is an artist that will grow with age, and I feel I will be seeing her performing on TV shows and turning it off... for years to come. But if you liked her singles, this is really good value for money because it's a massive nineteen tracks.