Jade Diary
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Jade Diary

Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia | Established. Jan 01, 2007 | SELF

Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia | SELF
Established on Jan, 2007
Solo Pop Singer/Songwriter

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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Press


"The Music: 'Mermaid' Album Review"

Mermaids are the mythical, transcendent creatures that have captivated the human imagination for centuries. We are drawn to the idea of their existence because of the mysterious, magical and ambient quality that surrounds them, and thus, Jade Diary aka Cheryl Lim's latest release Mermaid is so aptly named.

Lim matches her melodic tones and emotionally rich lyrics with some fantasy-inspired synth to produce a debut album with a dream-like quality that's second-to-none. Introducing us to her work, Lim pulls you in with opening track Mermaid, which, funnily enough, familiarises us with the idea of the mermaid's beauty, while simultaneously allowing us to explore every gorgeous facet of Lim's melodic and haunting vocals.

An album with more highs than lows, each track has a different selling point – whether it is the lyrics in Cold Hearted that Lim passionately sings, “Your scent it lingers and it steals away my sanity.../Blinded by beauty and seduced by my vanity”, the perfect match of synth and percussion in A Thousand Days, or the soaring, lingering vocals in Lucid Dreams, each song wraps itself around your eardrums and tugs until it has engulfed your whole body.

The album is an exploration of various sincere, well-articulated emotions, without sounding whiny and repetitive. Like the swift, yet graceful movement of a mermaid, this album flows flawlessly through a saturated music scene, leaving you in bewilderment of what you have just experienced. It's hard to fault this album. Jade Diary's debut is something Perth, and Australia, should be proud of. - The Music


""Dear Diary" - X-Press Magazine, 6 June 2012"

Every now and then a new voice with fresh attitude arrives on the acoustic-pop scene. That voice is here within the soul of Jade Diary. Prepare to be beguiled by the charming chanteuse when she launches her new EP 'Love Thy Will Be Done' on Sunday, June 10, at The Ellington, with support from acoustic troubadour Jonathan Brain, pop-rockers Astro and dynamic duo Reilly & Chris. - X-Press Magazine


"Mossip - 'Love Thy Will Be Done' EP Review"

Jade Diary is the name taken by Australian singer songwriter, Cheryl Lim. Love Thy Will Be Done is her first EP release as a solo artist. The title track is a song written by Prince for Martika's first album. (Anyone remember the ex- Kids Incorporated star?). Most won't remember the original version, as it wasn't a huge hit. Jade Diary brings such life to the track that was a little too synth heavy. Cheryl Lim's voice is front and forward here, as it should be. Prince always wrote the best ballads for women, and this song is no exception. It is ethereal and romantic and super girly. Cheryl takes this song and makes it her own.

The EP is 5 songs and is a preview for listeners. Her full length album will be out later in the year. Of the five songs, three of them are written by Cheryl. The other four songs share some traits with the title track. All of them possess the same dreamy melodies and they all have a strong vocal. Cheryl's voice can be compared to the likes of Jennifer Noble of Grey Eye Glances with a touch of Colbie Caillat thrown in for good measure. Another similarity that many of the songs share is a melancholic tone.

"A Thousand Days" is a haunting song of forgiveness with a new age vibe. The lyrics convey sadness and are about forgiving a person who has hurt you. "A thousand days, a million stars. All that you said has turned into scars. It's time to say goodbye to the hate that blackens what's left of my heart." Cheryl's sings in a breathless, sultry way that still retains a certain innocence. There's something refreshing about a voice that is pure and free from all the overt sexuality that seems to have a hold on most pop music. Jade Diary is beyond that. This is music that is beautiful because its focus is on the lyrics and melody and not on shock value.

"Tomorrow" is a song about a city dweller. The song paints a vivid picture of how one person can be lonely in the throngs of a big city, and yet remain hopeful for bigger and better things to happen in the future.

Unrequited love is the theme of "Sublime," one of the EP's more upbeat sounding songs. The song has jangling guitars and a great beats, shades of Belinda Carlisle. This is pop perfection.

The EP ends with the mellow "Long Way From Home." It is another song about a love that's gone, and it couldn't be sung prettier. In fact, Cheryl Lim sings about sad subjects better than just about any artist. Her voice is soothing and angelic. Sadness should not sound so good.

Jade Diary is an artist to watch; a voice that isn't like every other out there. The three songs that she wrote are full of emotion and imagery. She will have you longing for the days when Lilith Fair was the concert to see, because surely she'd be part of it. Love Thy Will Be Done is just enough music to satisfy the listener, and it will help tide fans over until her full length album is released.

If you are looking to sample a new artist, look no further than Jade Diary. Love Thy Will Be Done is a reminder of all that is good in music. This is an EP that will definitely be put on repeat on your iPod or stereo, because it is simply that good. It is one of this year's best listens. If you haven't heard Jade Diary yet, what are you waiting for?

Review by: Andrea Guy - Mossip


"The Sonic Reverie Review - Love Thy Will Be Done EP"

Climbing the first rung of the ladder, 'Landscape of Dreams' brought Jade Diary to quite a few people's attentions as the project successfully crowdfunded the money for a second EP to be recorded. Tipping a few years away in raising and recording, it will all undoubtedly seem worthwhile when 'Love Thy Will Be Done', the result of the hard work, is given it's release in June.

Fans of Lady Antebellum and Taylor Swift's charismatic take on country inspired pop should enjoy this collection of jangly, uplifting tracks, particularly the summery young love anthem,'Sublime'. Unsurprisingly, the title track isn't a coincidentally named original composition, but is a glorious take on the Martika track, complete with an ideal production to put the emphasis on Cheryl Lim's divine voice, shining at it's best, conjuring a scriptural atmosphere that sits perfectly alongside the lyrics.

Cheryl's voice is both captivating and emotive but the drawing point is it's subtle nature. 'Long Way From Home' strips back the production to bring a focus tightly on the relatable story locked within the lyrics and sees her voice at it's mesmerising best. With a haunting backdrop, 'A Thousand Days' sees Cheryl bringing the passion and honesty of Sarah McLachlan into her touching deliverance and easily sits as one of the standouts from the EP. Save for the enchanting drop of the chorus with it's ambient beauty that reaches a perfect climax for it's final rendition. This is songwriting at it's best; an earnest message coated in a memorable hook and taken to new heights with the dedicated Lim at the helm.


Don't expect to be hammered over the head with a forceful delivery, insisting you feel the message of the song; Jade Diary's music puts it out there and you can fetch however much emotion and meaning you like from it. Above all, this is music to enjoy. Not preaching, not politically charged but dealing with recognisable themes such as love and loss but doing it expertly. 'Love Thy Will Be Done' is a charming representation of Jade Diary's warmth and talent and when you're lazing in the garden on a Sunday afternoon, you'd struggle to find much better than this. - The Sonic Reverie


"Landscape of Dreams Mediasearch Review"

In a city (Perth) rich with musical resources comes another fine new talent, The Jade Diary. This EP is my first hearing of the band and there is good impacting pop and rock sounds, with tender and catchy elements in a well produced offering. Vocalist and principle songwriter Cheryl Lim has much quality, singing very honestly and tenderly, displaying pure emotion from the insightful lyrics. I would probably like to see the band up the tempo a little more but this EP is only a taste of what The Jade Diary can develop in their sound. The arrangements are well compiled and I look forward to greater scope in their future releases because the potential is strong.

- Carmine Pascuzzi - Mediasearch


"Landscape of Dreams Perthbands.com review"

The Jade Diary are a mixture of the pop elements of Fleetwood Mac (with vocalist and main songwriter Cheryl Lim reminiscent of Stevie Nicks in her vocal delivery) with some folk and light rock. This is a slick, professional EP with carefully-chosen songs, strong production work by Soundbaker Studio and lovely artwork.

The EP opens with Love Called Me Home, a mid-paced pop song introduced with an eerie guitar which immediately caught my attention. The percussion is used effectively in the verses to drive the song, before building to a catchy chorus hook. The strongest of the four tracks, the song is topped with smooth vocals and thoughtful lyrics.

What She Wants is the rockiest moment of the EP, while the title track and Wanderer are slower ballads. The title track is a beautiful song with heartfelt vocals, while Wanderer was the weakest of the four with its bland melody line.

The only critique I would have of The Jade Diary is that I would like to hear some more variation in their sound. The band's sound can border on being too middle of the road at times. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to introduce more up-tempo material and edgier, more textured sounds to add greater sonic interest.

Overall, Landscape of Dreams is a strong and musically-mature release from a promising group. I was especially impressed with the arrangements and I look forward to hearing more material.

- Cissi Tsang - Perthbands.com


Discography

"Landscape of Dreams" EP released April 2008.
Songs from the EP and single have been heard on Australian community radio.

"Girl With No Name" Single released June 2010.

"Love Thy Will Be Done" EP released June 2012.
Songs have been played on radio stations around Australia and the single 'A Thousand Days' was #10 on The Rock Across Australia Chart on 23 June 2012.
'A Thousand Days' was #2 on the Triple J Unearthed 'Pop' Chart and #10 on the overall Triple J Unearthed chart on 6 May 2012.

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Bio

Jade is the Chinese middle name of Singaporean-born singer-songwriter, Jade Diary, aka Cheryl Lim, who has lived most of her life on the breezy shores of Perth, Western Australia. 'Honest’ is a word that can be used to describe her music, just as one fan once told her, “I love how you bleed all over the stage”. She didn't start writing songs until her 20s, lacking the self-belief to put pen to paper, but the courage to start writing about her life experiences on that journey means she bares her heart to you while each song “wraps around your eardrums and tugs until it has engulfed your whole body”, aptly said by reviewer, Renee Jones of The Music. She sings her song for you when you want to scream into the void; when you feel like dancing upon the stars in a joyous cloud of ecstasy; whenever you feel like the whole world is broken and you need a gentle voice to whisper hope into your soul again. For the downcast and those with something to prove – she speaks into that ache deep inside which words cannot describe. If Karen Carpenter and Ellie Goulding were the eldest and the youngest sisters, she would be the middle child, a voice that is truly unique. 

Jade's song, ‘A Thousand Days’ released from the crowd-funded 'Love Thy Will Be Done' EP in June 2012 was ranked number 10 on ‘The Rock Across Australia’ Christian national radio airplay chart within two weeks of its debut. The song also reached number 2 on the Triple J Unearthed Pop Chart on 6 May 2012. Following a tour to Brisbane and Sydney, she opened for chart-topping indie-rock band, Evermore, at the Easterfest festival in March 2013. Her collaboration with UK producer Pentaprism entitled 'Silver Clouds' earned her 2nd place in the Dance category of the 2013 MusicOz Australian Independent Music Awards.

Band Members