Hailing from Norwich, recorded in Norway, popular here in Bedford; this pretty well sums up the divine and delightful Jess Morgan. It's rare for someone who lives so far away to be clutched so firmly to the close knit bosom of the Bedford music scene, but Jess has been. Her debut album "All Swell" has raised considerable attention.

Clocking in at just over fifty minutes, "All Swell" is not your average fluffy female fare. It's dark, stark and very honest. Beginnings and endings, losses and gains, both literal and metaphorical are the recurring themes in this collection of eleven songs. Written by Ms Morgan, it was cleverly produced by both Jess and H.P. Gundersen. The lyrics are deep and unrelenting. She achieves that enviable combination of simplicity and strength. There are no wasted words and certainly no hackneyed rhymes. This is a writer who has so much to say, no matter how sad or harrowing it could be. "All Swell" reflects a diverse scope of inspiration, encompassing Americana and folk. Indeed, listening to it reminds me of the all pervading essence of Michelle Shocked's 'Texas Campfire Tape' of the mid eighties (without the cricket sounds of course). The songs are exquisitely set up, while the musicianship is faultless. It's a mesh of slide guitar, pedal steel, double bass and fiddle. With it's intimate lyrics, much of the album is akin to eavesdropping on Jess nursing a broken or bleeding heart. I do not know is she is from a deeply religious background, but there are many biblical references in her material. The cruel sea also seems to play a massive part in her inspiration. Dedicating a whole song to it, it's naturally called "At Sea". More poignant is "Pamela", a sad tale about a battle scarred casualty from World War One. Chillingly, Jess sings so evocatively "They say the gunfire blew his strength of mind to smithereens". Although a song of the past, it's as relevant now with the daily news broadcasts of more suffering casualties in Helmand Province.

Listening to "All swell", "Prize pig" has to be my favourite, flavoured as it is by a stray celtic verve. The excellent "Talisman" is neatly enhanced by the mystical eastern sounds of the sitar. This album offers a brooding, heavy pot of ideas that seem so formulated in the head of Ms Morgan. Her follow up is already awaited with relish.

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