Emma-Jean Thackray describes herself as a neurodivergent artist. She is a multi-instrumentalist. On Weirdo, she plays drums, bass, guitars, piano, synthesizers, percussion, trombone, flugelhorn, tuba, and euphonium, in addition to singing and harmonizing. Want more? She produced almost the entire album. Is the young woman a weirdo? Or a genius?
I’ve been wanting to talk to you about this album for several weeks now, but covering the many festivals has taken precedence.
Emma-Jean Thackray has been compared to Meshell Ndegeocello for her blend of jazz and funk influences and her musical curiosity. No doubt these two petite, hyper-creative women would get along well.
Weirdo is a paradoxical album, from start to finish. On the one hand, “Save Me,” “Please Leave Me Alone,” “What Is The Point,” “Wanna Die”—these are just a few of the song titles that reflect Emma-Jean’s state of mind. She has just lost her loved one, who died of natural causes, and she has contemplated suicide. On the other hand, the music is festive, funky, often wild, subtly arranged, and makes you want to dance.
It seems that she wanted this paradox: to create groovy music to recover from the worst, while evoking the worst. However, it’s not just groovy, there are plenty of minor keys, but it’s an album of reconstruction, reinvention, and transgression.
Emma-Jean Thackray is the protégée of Gilles Peterson, the French-British radio host, DJ, and musician who specializes in identifying new music from around the world that blends genres. She has already conducted symphony orchestras. In short, she can do anything musically. A one-woman band. The positive side of neurodiversity.
Weirdo is the logical follow-up to Yellow, the previous album from 2022, with a more funk-oriented sound, without abandoning jazz. Emma-Jean produces almost all of the sounds heard on the album. There are collaborations with musician and comedian Reggie Watts and jazz rapper Kassa Overhall.
All of this is very pleasant to listen to, despite the heavy subject matter. Personally, I would have liked to hear a little more trumpet and flugelhorn, which Thackray excels at. The album could have benefited from being trimmed down a little.
Emma-Jean Thackray joins a host of artists showcasing the vitality of British jazz … and beyond.
