Words by Martei Korley
I’ll never forget the first time I heard Hollie Cook. While shooting models for a gig in Kingston, the art director, my good friend BenGee, suggested that I play her music for the girls posing with their best Pepsi smiles, instead of the usual barrage of Kartel tunes. When I relented, the quality took me for a spin: Hollie’s voice was like a cool burning fire, conjuring up images of a young Sade, or even Gregory Isaacs. The production values of the music were just as impressive. It’s been a long time since lovers rock was mixed like this. And still it sounded fresher than morning dew in a mango walk – straight goosebumps!
The fact that Ms. Cook, who released her self-titled debut album on England’s Mr. Bongo label in June, is the daughter of punk rocker Paul Cook, the drummer for the Sex Pistols, seems to give her an edge. While the London native sounds at home on sweet-tinged, major-key lovers rock, it is on the darkly tinged rub-a-dub of “Sugar Water (Look at My Face),” a tune capable of charming fans of any genre, where she shines the brightest. When her vocals come in with, “Look at my face, look what your charm has done to me,” it’s almost as if she is singing to you personally. File this one right next to Blondie’s “Rapture” or Faith Evans and Carl Thomas’ “Can’t Believe.” It’s that big. You heard it here first—on this side of the pond, at least. For more from Hollie, stream and/or download “Cry,” with its clever twist on Junior Murvin’s “Police and Thieves” harmony, and watch a ghoulishly animated video for her eerie “That Very Night”— just the right vibe for Halloween!
[audio:http://largeup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Hollie-Cook-Cry-ft_-Horseman-Vocal-Mix.mp3|titles=Hollie Cook — Cry ft_ Horseman (Vocal Mix)]
“Cry (Vocal Mix)” feat. Horseman
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