Blog Post
Jeanicelee - 'Urban Legends'
Iain McArthur • May 05, 2022
Album Review
It is hard to define the sound of Jeanice Lee; modern, melodic, guitar-fuelled heavy rock with wide-ranging influences from classic rock to old school heavy metal might just about cover it. What is certain though, is that this is the sound of a strong, confident woman who has really found the strength of her own voice on her second album. It’s not just her singing voice, which is delightful and distinctive, but she’s also found a way to articulate some of the powerful feelings held within her in a unique, mature and compelling way.
No longer a solo project, ‘Jeanicelee’ is now a band name and in partner Marco Morelli and the Hodge brothers, Tony and Leen, Jeanice has found the perfect team to bring her poetic and lyrical visions to life. Guitarist Marco has co-written five of the eight tracks and he adds a neo-classical edge to the furious opening track ‘Overhaul’ and is all over the excellent first single ‘Back in our Cage’ which I reviewed previously.
‘From the Ashes’ is the second single and its’ central theme of a rising phoenix has inspired some of the excellent cover art. It basically tells Jeanice’s personal story of it never being too late to start anew and to never give up on your hopes, and she’s certainly fulfilling her potential and her dreams in full. It’s a lovely old-school riff with a soaring vocal.
Jeanice has never been one for frivolous or fluffy lyrics in her music. ‘Liquid Gold’ is about the oil industry but elsewhere she has concocted blistering but beautifully phrased polemics on the topics of refugees/asylum seekers, the pandemic and the fate of her original home city of Hong Kong.
Perhaps surprisingly, two of the best songs on the album are about love but, as you would expect, neither relationship ends with a happy-ever-after. Over the course of six minutes, Jeanice tells the tale of a circumstantial relationship and opines that “you can’t break a heart that you don’t possess” in the song ‘Never Was’, which has a lovely, mournful and melancholy guitar sound. It doesn’t sound exactly like Thin Lizzy but the style is slightly reminiscent of the vagabond poetry of Philip Lynott and, like Phil, Jeanice is supported by the finest of guitar players, in the form of Marco, who absolutely nails it.
The absolute highlight of the album for me, certainly lyrically, is ‘Divine Red Roses’ (“you wrap roses around your heart; those who try to touch are always cut”). It is a deep and complex analysis of love, lust and attraction, driven by a heavy kick-drum sound and authoritative riffing, topped off by a loquacious solo.
Overall, it’s a beautifully written and intriguing album and presents something just a bit different to grab your interest. The album is released this Friday 6th May 2022 on CD and Bandcamp, and on all digital platforms from 3rd June, with the official release party gig at Legends (formerly Opium) in Edinburgh this Saturday, 7th May. It will be fascinating to hear these songs live and there’s also an excellent supporting bill with EBB and Tergazzi. See you there.