If you possess a single ounce of heart or soul then this album [Middle Child] contains 4 minutes and 23 seconds of the most beautiful song and performance that you will hear this year… She had a voice that could handle rockers, hard Blues or, on ‘Tenderness’, a wistful and wondering thing of magic. The eleven tracks here – all self-written – show off her capabilities and leave you desperate to hear more of her music… ‘Tenderness’ follows and I defy anyone to not be moved by the sheer beauty and sensitivity of the song… Every song on this album could be a massive single hit from another era, from the fifties through to the nineties…
… If “Déjà Vu” is the sort of song David Lynch might use as a recurring theme in one of his films, “My Sunrise” has Jeff Buckley written all over it, a song that would provide an ideal soundtrack for the waking hordes at Glastonbury just as the sun rises over the Tor. That’s a fanciful thought, yet this music seems to reach for an emotional reaction. If Eliza’s Indie leanings are suitably explored throughout this album, there’s also a brief venture into Anita Ward-like disco fever with “I Do”, a potential dance floor staple…
… Eliza Jaye’s posthumous album captures her questing spirit – from vivid indie punk and dream pop to the silvery, otherworldly quality of ‘Tenderness’ and ‘Deja Vu’. A moving collection of songs that stays with you…
This album is a beautifully crafted, sometimes breathtaking, but undeniably poignant journey through luscious soundscapes… ‘Run Like The Nile’ hits you full on with a racing punk beat and a style that echoes late 80s Transvision Vamp, with a voice channelling Patti Smith… ‘Tenderness’ follows both in song title and mood. Above dreamy synth and harp, I found myself lost in Jaye’s voice in this soothing lullaby… Listen with headphones and be swept away by the sheer beauty of this track… Leave the headphones on for ‘Deja vu’, a track that swept me away into the dark dreamscape of a scene from a Tarantino movie… To add to the poignancy, the album closes with ‘Take the Time’ a song which Jaye wrote at the age of 12. Even without the back story, the angelic notes would move any listener…
These three songs [Orchid, The Desert, Take the Time] have a peace and quiet beauty, focusing in on happiness and the inevitability of life and made this listener at least, appreciate the simple pleasures in life just that little bit more. Before we reach the final tracks though, Middle Child gives us a quite extraordinarily versatile look at Eliza’s talents as a songwriter, musician and singer. No two tracks have a similar feel, a rare feat on a full length album and showcase the soul, sass, folk and punk aspects of Eliza’s voice and song writing. It’s one thing to be able to write songs in such diverse genres but yet another to be able to perform them with such panache.
… the range of her craft as a singer-songwriter elegantly marries with the impressive range of her voice and her skills as a violinist… The gentle strum of country-rock “Sugar Cane” … [fills] the space with a joyous warmth of someone that clearly loved life and loved to love. The effortless twang of her voice bends around every lyric, and along the globetrotting journey of “My Sunrise” … she hits out with punk-rock mastery on “Run Like The Nile” … “Tenderness” – an intergalactic lullaby where the soothing caresses of her voice usher in a moment of stillness… Yet darker still comes the bluesy mystery of “Déjà vu” and the cinematic enthrall caused by the murderous “Tigers” … Not satisfied with claiming only half of the musical spectrum, Jaye unexpectedly delves into indie-disco inspired beats with “I Do” … “Take The Time” sees her peacefully bowing out, poignantly done with a song she first wrote at the age of 12 …
… Sugar Cane [is] a tender and gently intoxicating song of love and attraction that slowly builds as it draws the listener in and may make you want to hug your nearest and dearest… Run Like The Nile is far more feisty with echoes of PJ Harvey coupled with the sass of Miki Berenyi … Deja Vu continues in a slow late night way careful and considered it has a sheen of real beauty … The Desert is a spare rumination similar to Evi Vines early songs and is full of love and questions about the motivations for love as you count the stars together. The album closes with the very fragile sounding Take The Time
… I found them [her music and her blog] to be both immensely moving and an affirmation of an indomitable human spirit… The opening track ‘Sugar Cane’ chugs in on a heavily reverbed guitar riff and endlessly cool vocal that conjures up an early Chrissie Hynde/Pretenders vibe … softens into the next four tracks at the heart of the album that show off the more reflective, soulful side of Eliza’s music… until the final track brings the album to a close on a note of sublime beauty and optimism. Judged purely on its musical merits, ‘Middle Child’ is a lovely little album full of infectious melodies and smart pop attitude, put together with obvious love and considerable skill from all those involved…
… Middle Child is that sophomore album, a stark reminder of her talent to craft a song and her skill to execute it… It is passionate from the start, … Eliza’s vocals are honest, naked, ridden with defiance … Eliza delves into a deep soul delivery. Plucking each heartstring with every syllable… Eliza’s voice is totally angelic, rolling out with sorrow and the realization of the frailty that life is, right up to the closing words [of the final track, Take The Time] “..to happiness”… This [album] is something special, with very little down-beat moments given the surrounding with which it was created in…
The stunning Eliza Jaye. Wow! It took a couple of songs for me to really get to grips with Eliza and to say she has presence is an understatement. Confidently standing alone with her gorgeous Les Paul, her style and personality dominated the room. This lady packs a punch. It took me a while to pinpoint who she reminds me of, Patti Smith, but only a little; Eliza has an individual sound all of her own. Crimson Lipstick was the song that stood out for me along with Marmalade and her cover of Lilac Wine. All hauntingly sung, Eliza is a pleasure to watch, it’s clear to say she loves what she does and lives the moment of each song.
I walked into the Neptune one Sunday afternoon some years ago, you were there tuning instruments and twiddling knobs. Then you began to sing, it was like stepping out of an ordinary afternoon into a David Lynch film. You sang with such feeling, tears rolled involuntarily down my face. You expressed something I can’t find words for even now. It was an afternoon I will never forget.
