(single/ 'HUNGRY DOG RECORDS')
Thea no more, Gilmore's here.
Strumming and finger-picking her acoustic guitar in a similarly lush and genuinely honest stable as solo singer-songwriters Emma Rugg, Dan Pierce and Chris Davidson, Thea throws caution to the wind with her 'Juliet' title track that's an upbeat soft-rock anthem and has a strikingly similar vibe to it as Jon Bon Jovi's bittersweet 'Sad Song Night.'
B-side 'Throw The Bouquet,' however, is toned-down and raw acoustic-accompanied emotion with Springsteen-styled harmonica gasps of vitality sucking us onward into the splendour of 'Lightning' that reminds of Del Amitri with its deep, proud longing and loving soul that hears gorgeous Gilmore proclaim 'Love's an uninvited guest' that 'can take you to a place where the words don't go.'
CD2 furthers her quest to become a leading folk-rocker with both hands in thoughtful, mature and vivid poetic pies as heard in her 'Hooligansville': 'They've got angels in the doorways shaking empty cups.' Likewise, 'Like Lead' ('I hate you but still play your game') is buoyed by raw heart and soul proving Thea - away from the mainstream suited title track - prefers her songs as down-to-earth and as 'organic' as she can write them, her self-fashioned passion reminding of Martyn Joseph and his spellbinding gusto. 5/5 (STEVE RUDD)
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