Opener ‘Release’ is a bedroom pop-esque track that introduces Jo’s sound - captivating, unpolished and vulnerable. Despite many of the lyrics within the song continuing this pattern, the Rich Cooper-produced track feels almost hopeful, like there’s a brighter future outside of this relationship: “I’m overcome with a lack of life, he knows that I’m trying”.
‘Six Years Of Keeping On’ sees Jo experiment more with fun textures within her sound. No two songs on ‘Grace, Flair and Distance’ are the same, or even particularly similar, but that’s part of what makes the project so appealing.
Produced by Hugo M. Hardy (Nieve Ella, Matilda Mann), ‘Chicken’ explores the embarrassment and guilt emerging from a break-up: “See your friends, they say what I did was so ugly”. It’s hard to believe that this was the first single released by jo from school; her poetic lyricism, soft vocals and stripped-back style in ‘Chicken’ feel reminiscent of Adrianne Lenker, and her inspiration taken from Elliott Smith is beautifully evident. Much of the grace of ‘Chicken’ lies in its deceiving simplicity - the song is mostly Jo’s vocals accompanied by finger-plucked acoustic guitar and regular percussion, but this focuses listeners on the poetic, melancholic lyrics: “Sitting on a line / Of knowing I can’t do what we both want, please say / If your lungs stop working”.
‘Underhand’ provides a look into Jo’s head - a bit all over the place but in an incredibly charming way. Jo and Cooper layer different instruments and electronic elements, perhaps in an effort to distract from Jo’s vulnerable lyrics: “The worst part is that time won’t tell”. ‘Underhand’ sees the first inclusion of a clarinet, a key part of the song and an instrument used heavily in the next track, ‘Julia Roberts’.
‘Julia Roberts’ (named not after the actress but rather a play on misheard lyrics) is a guitar-led recount of a brief tube interaction and the subsequent experience of not recognising who you are: “I haven't felt this way since I got here”. Released as the second single for ‘Grace, Flair and Distance’, ‘Julia Roberts’ sees Jo be loud and passionate, with the last minute of the song featuring heavy drums and guitar, a stark contrast to the earlier ‘Chicken’. Filmed at London’s Alexandra Palace ice rink, the music video (co-directed by Jo and Rosa Levenson) for ‘Julia Roberts’ features many of Jo’s friends and her sister Grace Geller.
Closing the EP, ‘Weight’ returns to folk-inspired rawness, with mature and vulnerable lyrics: “I love / But you weigh the world down / I weigh the world down”. The acoustic intimacy of ‘Weight’ feels almost redolent of Billie Marten, and creates a beautiful but relatable track about the pain of realising a relationship isn’t right for you. Jo takes on the universal experience of first heartbreak and makes it her own, allowing listeners to hear her thoughts as spoken poetry.
As a BRIT School alumnus - alongside stars such as Olivia Dean and Adele - jo from school’s talent comes as no surprise, but ‘Grace, Flair and Distance’ is an undeniably impressive debut EP. Jo’s lyrical vulnerability translates to audiences incredibly well; the experiences she writes about feel universal and relatable, yet she finds a way to express them with a fresh approach.
Beth Hibbard
Image: ‘Grace, Flair and Distance’ Official EP Cover