If you want to know quite how much of a one off Izzie Walsh is, then one need go no further than look at her website where oddly for a musician you cannot actually purchase any of her music however you can invest your hard earned cash in either an Izzie Walsh face mask, or a beach towel festooned with images of her,
Her new single "Jimmy" is equally unique, more Patti Smith than Patty Griffin but guaranteed to grab your attention from the moment you hear it. Izzie describes it as "exploring my more electric side and quirky story telling" and she certainly succeeds in that.
The first thing that hits you is the sound, starting for the opening few lines as just Izzie and an acoustic guitar before a deliciously raw band kick in, all rowdy drums and bass with more of an indie than an Americana guitar sound.
All of this provides the perfect backdrop for Izzie to roll out the story of the eponymous "Jimmy" who as we will find out is a bit of a "Geezer", a "dodgy dealer" with the emphasis on "dealer", someone a little darker than their initial charming persona seems. Izzie invests a lot of time in turning him into a 3D figure that we might all recognize, with quite a few details of his back story
"Both a lover and a fighter - his Mum gave up on him age 16
He grew up to be fit as the Butchers dog - Have you seen him recently?"
However pretty soon via the chorus Izzie is issuing a definite warning
"Don't trust his eyes, his smile, his little dirty lies
His wife's from Lanzarote and he's got a tattoo of a line of cocaine
Don't you feel his pain?"
Izzie's role as narrator is never quite explained, however from the vitriol in the opening line of the chorus, you would have to assume that she has at some point been taken in by the very things that she is warning us of.
The real star of this single is Izzie's phrasing and changes in volume - even if you just take the line "Don't you feel his pain?", it seems to rarely be sung the same way twice. It certainly has definitely piqued our interest to see what will be in her forthcoming EP Ideals, due for release on 17th September 2021.
Izzie also has a string of dates around the country
3rd September - The Deaf Institute Manchester
4th September - Blackpit Brewery Silverstone Woodlands
18th September - Westview Live Folk Festival
28th September - Glasgow - The Hug and Pint
29th September - Newcastle - The Globe
30th September - Sheffield - Record Junkee
1st October - London - The Grace
2nd October - Hassocks - Proper Cafe
3rd October - Salcombe Live Festival - Devon
14th October - Holmfirth Tavern In the Round Gig
20th November - Roots Fest London
1st December - Grateful Freds / The Atkinson - Southport