Best known for her songwriting skills, sultry vocals, and compelling live shows, on 'Summer Songs', Karen Jonas takes inspiration from some of her songwriting heroes including Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Don Henley mixed with hints of Gillian Welch and Jason Isbell.
Opening ‘Summer Songs’ is an inspired cover of Don Henley’s ‘The Boys Of Summer’. Opting for a light country-rock treatment complete with slide guitar, Jonas and band effortlessly carry the song and make it very much their own, while ‘Summer’s Hard For Love’ switches tempo to a more laid back jazz and blues shuffle.
‘Thunder On The Battery’ is a moody laid-back country-rocker that highlights Jonas’s prowess as a songwriter. The rich detailed lyrics and melody combine to make this the clear stand-out track on the release. Rounding off the EP, ‘Summer Moon’ is a stripped-back emotional ballad featuring Jonas on acoustic guitar. The deceptively simple arrangement evokes imagery of late-night rendezvous and harks back to the golden age of Joni Mitchell.
‘Summer Songs’ is a light, upbeat, and enjoyable collection of music that is sure to act as an introduction to the wider works of Karen Jonas.