“What is freedom if you’re not leaving your family in tears?”
Seemingly out of nowhere, Oakland singer-songwriter Margot James emerges with Talker, a seven-track suite of buzzing electric keyboard, gently rocking blues rhythms, and a bright husky voice melodious with introspection and growth. It feels all the more “out of nowhere” because (full disclosure) Margot is a good friend of one of my good friends; I knew she sang and played the piano, but like this?
Recorded at Hand Me Down Studios and featuring a crew of collaborators, none of the songs here warrant a skip: The album opens with the moody slow brooding “Eyes” (paired with a music video filmed in Perugia, Italy), before moving into the ironically light-hearted “Pirouette,” the country dance of “Pinky Fingers,” and so on. Each song a little piece of Margot’s heart, but warm and gentle with the revelations.
