JILL BARBER Oh Heart EP (dependent) Rating: NNNN
Rating: NNNN
Sibling rivalry is awesome. A few months back, former NOW cover boy Matt Barber predicted his little sister Jill would quickly surpass his musical success, and if this EP – her debut for East Coast collective dependent records – is any indication, he’s probably right. Barber fille has the kind of vocal sophistication you can’t buy, with smoky, jazz-inflected undertones like a heroine from an old black-and-white movie. (The Cindy Sherman-style sleeve art plays with that vibe.) She channels world-weary folkiness on the title track, cabaret coquettishness on the Sarah Slean-evoking Measures And Scales and Nothing On Me and a defeated sigh on A7th Minor, floating on expertly arranged woodwinds and strings. Wonder if she’ll take a page from the Whites’ book and tour with brother-husband Matt as the Blue Squiggles.
Jill Barber releases Oh Heart with Precious Little and Elliott Brood at the Rivoli Friday (March 26).