In her past musical endeavours, Jo Bartlett has experimented with sounds ranging from whimsical folk to psychedelia, laced with the warped guitar sounds of heavy metal – however, 9×7 has less of an enterprising mannerism.

It opens with the synth heavy track ‘Dying Kiss’, which carries the vibes of late ‘70s soft rock bands such as Fleetwood Mac – the influences Stevie Nicks are particularly noticeable in her voice. The subsequent songs are consistent in the format; the lyrics explore different thoughts and emotions with philosophical suggestions making the songs seem autobiographical. ‘Olympic’ serves as an amalgamation of all the sounds in the album, the notes overlap each other and slowly fade into ‘What Do You Say To That?’, a wistful track with muffled echoing vocals and possibly the most adventurous track on the album, possessing a jumpy bass and psychedelic waves of synth, accompanied by more of a prominent beat to result in a cosmic feel.

9×7 is an album that combines the fullness of classical rock, minimalism of dream pop but also the emptiness of a busker with little inspiration. The acoustic guitar sounds are relatively simple, the only redeeming factor being the intense strings from Mike Siddell and backing vocals which help the album to seem fuller. Jo Bartlett’s wavering voice and the basic lyrics cause the album to exude a sense of predictability, making it sound conservative. I could say that she was “playing it safe” but it is evident in the different instruments and effects she used that there may have been the intent to create something exciting, but the balance of the vocals and instrumental just didn’t weigh up.

9×7 is out now via Strike Back Records.

Oseta Agboaye