- album name
Lights Out Zoltar!
- band name
by Gemma Ray
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Download Album ₤6.99 GBP
Immediate download of 12-track album in your choice of 320k mp3, FLAC, or just about any other format you could possibly desire. -
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1. |
100mph (in 2nd Gear)
03:04
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Snuck A Peak
03:59
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Tough Love
02:39
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Fist Of A Flower
02:29
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1952
03:41
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Goody Hoo
03:15
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No Water
03:27
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Dig Me A River
02:51
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11. |
Something Shifted
03:19
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12. |
So Do I
04:11
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- about
- Such is the breathtaking scope of "Lights Out Zoltar!" that its epic multi-layered sound has, you assume, the dedicated workforce of a full blown orchestra behind it, yet this beguiling mix of pop, country and blues is the work of Gemma Ray at home with co-producer Michael J Sheehy.
Spontaneous and uncontrived, Gemma is a natural product of her influences and while “Lights Out Zoltar!” is an eclectic work of broad ambition, never does it fail to sound anything other than the work of Gemma Ray - from the latin-tinged pop noir of 100mph (in 2nd Gear), to the surfed-up swagger of Fist of a Flower, the rollicking shanty-like (You Got Me In A) Death Roll to the mesmeric folk horror of If You Want to Rock and Roll.
Gemma’s first album, ‘The Leader’, though critically acclaimed, was fraught with setbacks. Recorded against a backdrop of illness brought on by mystery blood-poisoning, tours were cancelled and for the sake of her sanity the only way to abate the frustration was to keep recording and writing at home in London. Despite the circumstances, the darkness of her songwriting is seamlessly interlaced with humour, playfulness and beauty throughout.
Make no mistake, doubters and stragglers will be converted and convinced by the kick-ass live show in which Gemma (now back on track and in good health) and her band take the songs to an even heightened level of hypnotism and drama. Recent shows saw audiences captivated by Gemma and her band, not least when she plays slide guitar not with a slide, but with a very intimidating ‘Psycho’-style knife. Fans include Jimmy Page, Seasick Steve, The Duke Spirit, Joe Gideon, The Bad Seeds and now you.
The album is preceded by the single 100 mph (in 2nd Gear) released on August 24th, and backed with 900 Miles, the Odetta cover that was used as the soundtrack to the BBC psycho-flick Mum & Dad.
"Wondrous. A true alternative to the wan psychadelic folk of today’s lady-pop troupe” – MOJO
“Blowing sugary femme-pop out of the water. Gemma Ray is untouchable” – NME
“By rights, Gemma Ray should be a household name. When stood next to her, Amy Winehouse is revealed to be, if not a charlatan, certainly pedestrian. This album is a rare treat indeed” – BBC
“An eerie aural kaleidoscope that conjures up thoughts of what an album by Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las produced by David Lynch would have sounded like. Though it echoes with references to mid-'60s melodramatic pop, it's of the moment and a delight.” – Wall Street Journal
“I recently saw Gemma Ray in concert and was really impressed by her unique blend of song-writing, vocals and musicianship. Not to be missed!” – Jimmy Page, London 2009.
“Her aesthetic may be retro, but the tough, moody perspective she brings to vintage song structures feels fresh and ultra modern” – Bust
“Had Phil Spector forced his girl groups in a more noir-soundtrack direction, this might've been the result. Ray has a truly impressive feel for vintage pop flourishes, layered to lavish effect. And all those details are what you're supposed to be paying attention to, right up until the blade hits your back.” SPIN
“The songs of British singer-songwriter Gemma Ray: they sound familiar, but when you stop and listen, you know you’ve never heard this before.” PRI
“Without sounding overwrought or arch on her new album, Ray finds a winning way to warmly blend a lot of disparate pop styles” Song of the Day, NPR
“Watching her perform, with her luminous voice and oversized cutlery, there’s no doubt that Ray is blazing her own silvertone trail” – Best of What’s Next, PASTE
“Ray plays a cool guitar — graceful wrist-flicks of blues and rockabilly-tinted ’60s pop, a mink stole in a contemporary cut — and she sings noirish ballads and boilers straight from the heart of town. Some sort of fame should follow” – RCRDLBL.COM
“There it is. That moment. It'll send shivers right down your spine. It's a Ray teases with a familiar flavor before twisting it around to the dark underbelly, but the eeriness is tempered by a flair for the pop dramatic”- BLURT
"Disarming...swooning...with noir-ish hints of Lee Hazelwood’s unearthly country-rock... Ray sits midway between Nina Simone and Isobel Campbell and is the better for it.” – MOJO
“A wonderful debut album... Gemma weaves an entrancing tapestry of soul, blues and pop, full of dark themes and late-night confessions, all presented in a sultry, seductive voice. With Duffy, Adele and Beth Rowley joining Amy Winehouse in the upper reaches of the charts, it’s clear girl singers are all the rage. But few, with the exception of Amy, are as raw and honest.” – THE SUN
“A brilliantly brooding prospect. Like a grittier Loretta Lynn, she’s from the wrong side of the tracks. Uncouthly ace.” - NME
“Imagine Norah Jones on Amy Winehouse’s drugs.” – Q
“I enjoyed Gemma Ray’s songs. I thought her guitar playing was outstanding” – Peter Sarstedt
"Gemma Ray embodies a character from a 50's film noir, delivering something that comes across as both sexy and incredibly dark, drawing everything from Nina Simone to Loretta Lynn, her luscious songs have the power to soothe the worst of heartaches." Midem Magazine
“Gemma Ray’s music defies easy categorisation...she has a clutch-purse full of sundry party tricks. You could do worse than imagine PJ Harvey in thrall to The Shangri-Las. Both Dry River and Hard Shoulder rise from minor key squalls to full girl-group majesty, while Rise Of The Runts shows she has no problem producing straight, sparkling pop.” – THE WORD
“A persuasive exercise in Hitchcockian melodrama” – UNCUT
“If Audrey from Twin Peaks were to make an album, this is what it would sound like.” – Pop Junkie TV
“A startlingly good album” – CLASH
“A compelling album packed with 50’s-inspired gems and rumbling, country-rock gems” – DIVA
"An entrancing blend of artfulness and accessibility, Ray's guitar twang and lustrous vocal deliver classic pop in sometimes spooky, but always compelling, hallucinogenic soundscapes." - DAILY MIRROR
"Gemma Ray has poise and clarity...and a clue or two about constructing melodic mini epics." - MAIL ON SUNDAY
"A compelling piece of work" - DAILY EXPRESS
"Gemma Ray takes old musical forms, but unlike Duffy and Amy Winehouse she reinvents them in an innovative and refreshing style that ensures she will be around in 10 years time." - IRISH NEWS OF THE WORLD
"If Pulp Fiction were remade to include a church scene, then London’s queen of all things noir Gemma Ray would provide the soundtrack and possibly a part as Uma Thurman’s best mate. As it is, tonight, Islington’s Union Chapel provides a righteous backdrop as she delivers a solo set of ‘50’s-soaked urban blues. Covers of Gallon Drunk’s Put a Bolt On The Door and Etta James’s I’d Rather Go Blind sit handsomely alongside new material like If You Want To Rock And Roll from her forthcoming album Lights Out Zoltar! and allow Ms Ray to make a whole host of new friends" - MOJO - credits
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released 07 September 2009
Written by Gemma Ray. Produced by Michael J Sheehy & Gemma Ray. Mixed by Ben Thackeray - license
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- Track Name: 100mph (in 2nd Gear)
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A long, long time ago (but not so long ago though…)
Days went slow but the weeks flew fast, flying past and calling us – hurry up!
Some people push and shove, other ones aren’t tough enough
Chewing things over and over inside
Then down that shute they slide – by the wayside
It’s like driving 100 MPH in second gear
Jumped through one too many hoops to prove you shoot not in cold blood but fear
This place is so austere, but I feel safe in here
Feels like a little prison in my mind
No blinds to draw down when the dark decides
It’s like driving 100 MPH in second gear
Jumped through one too many hoops to prove you shoot not in cold blood but fear
Rain’s coming down thick and fast
Pressed up against the glass
The cold precision of the wipers
Do nothing to make our journey brighter - Track Name: Snuck A Peak
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Unraveling shadows, the touch of tumbling silk
Falling forbidden now
It feels…..and it feels..
You’ll open you’re into nothing now
You’ll open up your arms and no-one’ll come
No-one’ll come runnin to you
Tip-toed and arched over
A crescent shaped ache
Breaking open and over
Again…and again
You’ll open you’re into nothing now
You’ll open up your arms and no-one’ll come
No-one’ll come runnin to you - Track Name: Tough Love
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Treat me kind in the morning
Treat me kind in the evening
Bone china cup and saucer
Quivers round the bones of my fingers
Tough Love
Hey you - yeah in your youth
You were a white dove, I wore a boxing glove
With brown hair and fair skin
So beautiful, and keeping it all in
Tough Love
Don’t be confused or short fused
Cos there are many things little girl you did not choose
A montage, C’est moi, c’est moi!
Que-est ce je ne pas – La femme dans le old blue car… - Track Name: Fist Of A Flower
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Lowering your eyes, rewinding the sunrise
Looking for something, searching for nothing
Grows darker by the hour,
Closing up like the fist of a flower
Hour by hour by hour
Closing up like a flower
Looking at the moon, that you’re looking at too
Staring at the same thing with a galaxy in-between
Grows darker by the hour,
Closing up like the fist of a flower
Hour by hour by hour
Closing up like a flower - Track Name: 1952
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Honey where have you been? You’re two shades short of green…
I’ve been drinking Cuba-Libras in the street
Well we’ve been here before, picking pennies off the floor
I’ve been calling – you don’t answer the phone anymore
I’ll break every bone in you
Babe I’ve been dying to
Ever since 1952
In a bar by the sea in the middle of a dream
S’when your drunken treasure eyes sunk into mine
Those omega 3 lips, approaching like enemy ships
The coup de grace, Non! Por favor! Permisson Senoir!
I’m barefoot, broken and bruised
Well I’m through with following you
Been waiting for you to
Ever since 1952
I’ve waited a long time for them to let me out of here
And if those bullets come rattling
Out your mouth I’ll grit my teeth and grin and bear it
Cos I know you’re like me – sinking desperately
Arms flailing, were they waving at me?
I’m barefoot, broken and blue
Well I’m thru with following you
Been aching for you to – Ever since 1952 - Track Name: (You Got Me In A) Death Roll
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Gimme a rope cos I’m falling
Long or short, thick or thin
So many years I been calling
Trying to stop the evenings drawing in
You keep it rolling, rolling…
Gimme a rope cos I’m sinking
A singular rose in a stream
This undercurrent I am caught in
Trying steer my soul into the sea
No-one’s coming to save you
And no-one’ll come to save me
Everyone’s running around lately
Trying to chase the devil out to sea
You keep it rolling, rolling
You got me in a Death Roll! - Track Name: Goody Hoo
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Goody Hoo, the night’s upon you, moonlight lays lazy across your face in a silvery glaze. Your eyes are quick but stationary; feathers are thick with oils and excess – stretching through blue simmering shivers, cool iridescent quivers.
Who are you to raise a question? Tight tree bark claws grip onto anything that dares to blink, your dissidence will see no jury, so eloquent your fury never shows - flows to the blue simmering shivers, cool iridescent quivers. - Track Name: No Water
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Got blood on my feet
Mudskippers at my heels
No man or machine
Has ever seen anything this real
No water
No water here
No shelter from the sun
No hello gonna come from anyone
Oh been remembering the feel of your skin on mine
Been remembering anything to reach the end of this line
No water, No water here
Oh!
If you were the one then I know I would see you
Crouching in the bushes with the sleep still in your eyes
If you were the one then I’d never believe you were standing in a tree-trunk with those Animal Eyes
This treacherous route
Confuses and convolutes
Like a feverish memory
Oh Lord! I really thought you came to me
No water, No water here
Oh!
If you were the one then I know I would see you
Crouching in the bushes with the sleep still in your eyes
If you were the one then I’d never believe you were standing in a tree-trunk with those Animal Eyes
Oh no. - Track Name: Dig Me A River
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Lord knows they tried to dig me a river
And they tried to etch out a stream
But the veins of my arm runs deeper than those preachers could ever dream
And they tried to build me a mountain
With the earth they dug up and cast aside
And they tried to put a flag upon my head – it’s funny they even tried
God knows they tried to dig me a river - Track Name: If You Want To Rock and Roll
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Only one way to the top, but once you fall down you’ll never stop
There’s a hole in the sky and a gap in the ground, 2 warning signs – eyes that follow you around
Don’t call me, it only makes it worse
Don’t call me a liar and a curse
Don’t know if it’s day or night, don’t care whether it’s wrong or right
Cos there ain’t no light gonna shine in here, ain’t no sun gonna feed my fear
Don’t call me, it only makes it worse
Don’t call me a liar and a curse
Don’t call me – ah ah ah
Don’t call me…
Lone voice in the library speaks to nobody else but me
5’O Clock people retreat
The silence screams a deafening defeat
Don’t call me, it only makes it worse
Don’t call me a liar and a curse
Don’t call me – ah ah ah
Don’t call me – ah ah ah
Don’t call me – uh-ow-ouch
Don’t call me. - Track Name: Something Shifted
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Something shifted it’s true – truer than the deep blue
Like a shoe by the shore, hung your coat at the door
I could tell by the stars, venus, mercury and mars
There were warnings of vast stormy clouds racing past
Something Inside had died.
I could see in the sky, a small shape passing by unidentified – our worst enemies hide
I could tell by the stars, they knew right where you are
Like a slow motion blast she was left for the past - Track Name: So Do I
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Every night under the rolling sky, I silhouette against the skyline
But tonight is the night satellites are swallowed by the candlelight
And with every inch that burns
With every drop of hot wax that turns hard – So do I
I drew a line, then I rubbed it out, for every time I heard the city shout
I’d hold out, then I pout and I doubt I’d ever put the candle out
And as all the towns black out
As all of the drowners pass out from their share – So do I
Oh I keep runnin’ to you (like lovers do)