Joanna Briggs – Balloons EP

As a Midlands based kinda dude I’m always three flavours of chuffed when I hear something or someone new from my...er...‘hood. It’s even better when it’s being released on a Midlands based label too. Imagine the moistness (actually don’t, that’s a bit grim) when this dropped into my bulging inbox (steady now) then, a new EP on a Birmingham based label – LoveRock!Records – from a Midlands artist, singer songwriterJoanna Briggs. Balloons is an eclectic mix of tracks kicking off with the equally eclectic Spiders, part electro, part rock, part folk it’s an odd mix in many ways, jerking twitchily from one genre to another, but it's all the more refreshing for it. Elsewhere, Free has a nifty funk driven bass line, lush strings and some gorgeous, gorgeous vocals. Nice O’Jays reference in there too. Arguably the highlight of the whole thing though is the EP’s final track, the piano lead Another Lover. Just under three minutes long it’s the kind of track that the lovechild of Tori Amos and Stevie Wonder might well come up with. And if that’s not intriguing enough to get you to have a listen then there’s no hope. As a showcase for Joanna’s talent it’s an impressive debut, top marks for the production too. Balloons and party poppers all round in fact.

Joanna Briggs - Balloons by LoveRock!Records

Balloons is out now on LoveRock!Records.