All good music should take you away from where you are. You could be the happiest person in the world, but sometimes you’re going to want to escape. There are some bands/singers that always take you to a place a person/nothing else can. This is not a reflection on those you know, it’s just one of those things that happen. You can’t explain it and maybe you shouldn’t try to. There’s this “magic” to it that isn’t found anywhere else. Some have the answers at the bottle of something, but I don’t believe that. It’s in music, for me. Always. Maybe not always answers, but options.

Tamaryn have a new record out called Cranekiss. My love for Tamaryn is huge. If I could try to describe what the music means to me, I’d have done it by now but there really aren’t words good enough. When it was stated that Cranekiss was going to be nothing like previous releases, it didn’t bother me. When you love a band/singer, you don’t care what they do so long as you can still believe in it. For me, I have every faith in Tamaryn based on their previous records. I could never doubt their talent or ability to create something no less than beautiful.

I played Tender New Signs religiously, thinking nothing Tamaryn would do could ever top that. I always knew that regardless the music would be stunning, but I didn’t know if it could be exceeded. My uncertainty and constant curiosity never fails me with music, so I’m obviously delighted that Cranekiss is quite frankly one of the best records to have been released this year.

Hands All Over Me sounds like early Madonna. Here’s the thing, I can’t stand Madonna. Aside from Borderline, I can’t stand anything she has ever done but I fully appreciate and know exactly how important her early work is. It was something new and strange, and that’s why it clicked with so many. As she got older, the music got worse. Hands All Over Me sounds like something Madonna could have put out. If she did, I probably would call myself a fan. It’s a shame because she’s part Italian like myself, so I feel I should like her. But I think Berlusconi is a prick so my theory isn’t always ideal.

I’ve read reviews about Cranekiss before I heard it. I didn’t like some of them because they were unfair. I hate reading negative reviews of music I like, anyone does. There’s something about it that just makes you want to lay into the writer and call them names, I know. Why write about something you don’t like? There’s enough negativity in the world, just watch the news. Tamaryn makes music that makes you feel good and she really goes to town with it on Cranekiss.

I love the euphoric glow of Last. For now I’ll call this as my favourite. I love her vocals so so much. I don’t really like high pitched vocals, but the way Tamaryn hits those notes just makes you feel so fucking alive and grateful. I just can’t get my head around why her music isn’t played everywhere and why the whole world isn’t in love with her. This isn’t just music, it’s a form of art that is showcasing someone really pushing themselves.

I’m really shite at writing reviews. I can’t pull myself away from something I love in order to see it differently, but the thing with Cranekiss is that it feels like I am listening to anyone but Tamaryn. I feel like I’m listening to a new artist, and I guess for me Cranekiss is like a symbol of re-birth. Just starting over, because sometimes you just have to. I read that her shows now consist of new material and people were getting annoyed because they wanted to hear the old stuff. I’m just annoyed I missed out on seeing her show when she was in London. I don’t care if she decided to sing the back catalogue of Chris De Burgh, I’d just want to hear her voice. I’m trying to make the point that, her new stuff is so so good and it doesn’t matter that the older material isn’t played anymore.

If you want your heart breaking, or to just feel something I urge you to shut off and listen to Keep Calling. It is eerie and chilling. Her voice is so delicate on it, you can’t help but keep so still as you listen to it. I’ve probably missed the point completely with what Tamaryn was set out to achieve with Cranekiss. But I think what she has done is easily make one of the most beautiful records I have heard in a long long time.

On Cranekiss we get to hear just how strong Tamaryn’s vocals are. There’s no more hiding her, she’s unleashing her voice onto us and it takes you on this ethereal trip that you just want to last for an eternity. You get the sense that maybe she’s found a style she’s totally happy with on this record (not saying she previously hadn’t, far from it) and to be honest, does it matter if anyone else doesn’t? She’s truly excelled herself on Cranekiss, she well and truly has. I could try to find you a bunch of records to compare Cranekiss to or find other singers she sounds like, but honestly itr would be worthless. Why? You know why. There’s no one else I can think of, and it’s just sloppy journalism to use comparisons all the time. I mean sure there’s a part of Softcore that sounds like A Forest by The Cure but I’m not going to focus on that, it’s just one tiny moment. The whole record is a breath of fresh air to a stale scene. I feel like I’m listening to someone new, finding a band for the first time and just knowing I have to listen to everything they have ever done.

I wanted to go further than say this is one of my favourite records of the year, or that it has pushed boundaries. I don’t know if I can. But I really understand what Tamaryn has done with this record. It’s a resurrection of sorts. Maybe I’ve got that wrong, but I know how much I love this record and I know how beautiful it is. I hope that’s come across in my tirade of words.

In short, this is a gorgeous record and all lost souls will be soothed and found when listening to Cranekiss. It is beautifully produced, and you can really sense the love and care that has gone into making this record. Itr deserves a listen, over and over again. I’m hopelessly in love with this record.