Polly Gibbons - My Own Company (2014)

Good things come to those who wait, and you sense from the very opening bars of the self-penned title track that 'My Own Company' is going to leave an indelible impression. And so it proves: searing emotions, aural thrills in abundance, fabulous accompaniment. Reflecting the live set that the singer performs at Ronnie's with Pearson and the house band, the judicious mix of material incorporates everything from 'Miss Celie's Blues' to Joni Mitchell's 'All I Want' , with the singer bringing a seismic power and dramatic sweep to all that she touches. 'Don't explain' sees Gibbons channeling untold depths of pain and longing, while the sensitive shaping of the melodic line in 'For All We Know' is terrifically seductive. And what better way to round things off than with Ray Charles' 'What Would I Do Without You?' Yes, definitely worth the wait....