Jess Hill

After a very nice set of experimental and minimalist organicky orchestrations by Tarran the Tailor with a little help from his lady friend, a quiet (and smallish) Jess Hill and her guitar took the stage. Immediately personable, she softly spoke into the mike as if she were whispering to her closest friend and she sang as if she were playing to an open field of dying flowers at twilight.


Jess Hill's voice was spot on, barely trembling in all the right places. She definitely had a folky Cat Power or a Beth Orton thing going on, which was well complimented by her competent guitar skills. She was also joined on stage by five other young musician guys who quite impressed me with their mature restraint. It's pretty hard to find good musicians with a good indie-punk aesthetic who can happily throw in a rather brief, rather quiet, rather effective contribution to a song who's focus remained to be the singer and her guitar.

Hill's brand of folk music isn't a new one. Sure we got some happily tremolo'ing organ riffs here and there, and some atmospheric sqeaks and rumblings from the stand up bass and guitars, but the music largely stays ensconced in its slow to midtempo folk roots, though I did particularly like a song which had a groovy country twang to it.

At any rate, the crowd responded with genuine warmth to Hill and the band. Maybe cd release parties are the way to go, since you can ride the celebratory friend vibe as you check out the goods, and this time around the goods were delivered, in their dusty, lost and recovered, worn and torn package.

- Beyond Robson

Much of music today is designed to give energy and pump-up the listener. Strong, loud guitar riffs and steady beats give one an adrenaline rush that push you to move. But what is one supposed to do when the hustle and bustle of non-stop life zaps what life and energy we have left? The bass beats of dance music becomes headache-inducing, the loud rock guitar solos aggravate the ears, and the electronically modified voices grow irritating. Vancouver artist Jess Hill’s latest release “Orchard” is a catchy, relaxed compilation of music that can be listened to even after the hardest of days. The first track off the album, “A Common Bird” is a simple, acoustic tune that entices the listener to hum along, while the albums upbeat title track can make anyone tap their toes to its intoxicating beat. “Orchard” is Hill’s follow-up to her debut album “Road” released in 2006. Featured on CBC Radio, various lower mainland music festivals and recently on Streaming Cafe, Jess Hill has become a strong name in Canadian folk music. Oh and did I mention she was a top 20 finalist for the 2010 Peak Performance Project out of over 470 entries? If that doesn’t speak volumes to plug in “Orchard”, I don’t know what does. Catch Jess at the “In The House Festival” in Vancouver on June 4th, and at the “Hobo Orchard Tour” in Toronto on June 15th. - Unknown Radio

I have been following her career on and off for the last three or four years and I must say this CD named Orchard is her best work. She hasn’t lost the folk touch but it seems her music has evolved into a more professional myriad of sounds. Her voice is taunting, mysterious and a dark, it is Noir Folk with touches of blues. In her world there is nature in forms of trees and birds (crows specially) and the moon, there are ghosts stories, deserted landscapes, black and white afternoons, night shadows and love stories. Its sad but beautiful at the same time...I can recommend it to you widely, it will be one of the best singer songwriters album of the year. - VanMusic

Immediately personable, she softly spoke into the mike as if she were whispering to her closest friend and she sang as if she were playing to an open field of dying flowers at twilight. Jess Hill’s voice was spot on, barely trembling in all the right places.

Here's another gig on Thursday, if punkrock ain't your style. Vancouverite Jess Hill is having a cd release party and it sounds like it might be the kind of show that makes you melt into a puddle of tears on the would-be dance floor. She's got a beautiful folksy voice which can be heard on her Myspace site: oh it's a tear-jerker! But she may likely be more than meets the ear (from that one track, anyhow). Citing influences like Tom Waits, Wilco and NIck Drake, she's likely to have some eclectic twists and turns in her musical repertoire. - Beyond Robson

The show was the CD release of Orchard, the new album from Vancouver's Jess Hill. Her powerful voice blended excellently with the great string arrangements. Highlights were the song that first hooked me on Jess Hill, "Orchard", the building intensity of "Stagger" and the eerily haunting (pun fully intended) "Give Me Your Ghost", with included a saw for added atmosphere. She ended the set with a pair of songs I have seen a few times ["Don't Cry" and "Grow"], the first just her singing, and getting the crowd to scream at a couple points, then launching into a fast paced closer. Jess also had great charisma on stage, with some charmingly-nervous banter and story telling, giving the night a real intimate feel. None of the venues I've seen Jess in have been all that big, but I have a feeling she would be able to make a room of any size feel as intimate as a coffee house. - 3am Revelations

Song stuck in my head: "Stagger" by Jess Hill. Vancouver-based folk noir singer-songwriter Jess Hill has a haunting quality to her voice that perfectly compliments her storytelling lyrics. Her newest CD, Orchard, is filled with stinging emotions and raw energy that skillfully moves from blues-draped guitar to folk to alt-country and back again. - Monday Magazine

The coastline of Vancouver is widely known for its beauty and the city of Vancouver do not only have a famous NHL team with the Canucks, the music scene is one of the best in Canada and the folk singer Jess Hill is one of those talented artists living in this city. Jess released her debut "Road" in 2006 and was a Top 20 finalist in the Peak Performance Project in 2010, the press release of her new album "Orchard" says -if Tom Waits and Regina Spektor spawned a child it would be the talented Jess Hill. And I couldn´t agree more, she writes colorful music that lifts her poems to new heights. I say poems because they do not feel like ordinary song lyrics. This is folk music with a slightly electronic feel over it, it takes a few spins to get into the album and still I find new things to discover in the songs. I will settle for 3 stars now but ask me again in 2 weeks and I might raise the bar. - Melodic.net

Imagine, if you will, a sunny Sunday morning. The type of morning that you greet rather late, having stayed in bed just breathing in the sunlight, and enjoying the feeling of not having to do anything particularly important for the rest of the day. The type of morning where it’s warm in the sun, and cool and crisp in the shade. You there? Can you dig? What are you missing? Perhaps a soundtrack to this beautiful day? Well, luckily for you Jess Hill has the answer: her new album entitled “Orchard”. The songs are simply beautiful poetry and stories strung along by elegant melodies...this album never ceased to impress me. There’s just something about her vocals that have the ability to make you stop, smile and relax. - The Take Media