AN excellent vocalist and an integral part of the live set-up of the now defunct Amazing Snakeheads, Laura St Jude put her solo career on the back-burner for the better part of two years after the release of 2013’s Fatal EP. Returning both revitalised and ready to cement herself upon the consciousness of fans and critics alike, she has returned with the double A-side of ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’ and ‘Yours To Destroy’.
Sultry and sinister in its instrumentation and containing hushed yet powerful vocals, ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’ displays her ability to croon in a traditionally jazzy and yet completely original fashion. With an atmosphere of subtle menace that rivals Nick Cave at his most debauched, her transition into singing in French is effortlessly cool and utterly entrancing.
Setting off with plaintive guitar from The Amazing Snakeheads’ former frontman Dale Barclay, ‘Yours To Destroy’ is based upon St Jude’s calm and collected delivery that tows the line between Siouxie Sioux and a less exuberant Etta James. The band’s much more imposing presence upon this track creates a sound that is indebted to the moody tendencies of film noir; looming over her vocals without ever suppressing them. With little information as to what the future holds for St Jude, it’s sure to yield excellent results if she manages to continue to create such an alluring sound. Listen to the new track below:
