Album Review
Hollie Cook
Shy Girl
Vinyl / Digital
Out now
(4.5/5)
Fifth album of faultless Lovers Rock and Tropical Pop from Hollie Cook. Ged Babey offers a viewpoint and stands corrected.
Almost fifteen years since the release of her self-titled debut LP on Mr Bongo, reggae’s orator of love Hollie Cook is returning to the label for Shy Girl, her fifth studio album and her most authentic yet. Woven with tight grooves, beautiful vocals and catchy melodies, Shy Girl hears singer and songwriter Hollie Cook revel in her contemporary lovers rock sound, more confident and open to vulnerability than ever before.
A sun-drenched exploration of love in all its guises, Shy Girl tells stories of the magical and the melancholy, the heart-lifting and heart-breaking, across 12 luscious, analogue reggae compositions – the culmination of a soft-hued and instantly recognisable “tropical pop” sound that Cook has made her own.
The album opens with the title track ‘Shy Girl’, a buoyant and elastic slice of lovers rock that was written in a moment of spontaneous intuition, and bubbles with a charisma and positivity that Cook radiates.
“I’m not a natural show-off,” Cook explains. “The Shy Girl theme is me. It’s just about being my most vulnerable self and being as true to the music that I love as possible.”
It is this honesty which shines throughout, from the chugging deep dub of ‘Frontline’, complete with raking electric guitar lines, to the bittersweet roots ballad ‘We Share Love’, which closes out the album.
It’s clear to see that Cook’s songwriting draws on a lifetime of musical influences and inspirations. From her father, Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook’s record collection and touring with post-punk icon Ari Up’s The Slits, to her love for strong female-led pop music and the bassweight of London’s sound system culture. Enamoured with the music of Janet Kay and Phyllis Dillon, Shy Girl represents a homecoming and a coming-of-age for Hollie Cook, distilling and refining a shimmering reggae sound that will capture your heart, as it first captured hers.
That is the press release content. This is me.
Hollie Cook is beyond criticism as she is just so consistently cool and her music is full of her radiance and positivity. But I ‘ve always had a kinda feeling that because she was a part of The Slits there might be a bit more outspokenness, a touch of radicalism about her music. Not because she was the daughter of a Sex Pistol, Paul after all has always carried himself with dignity, by all standards, let alone ‘punk’ ones.
Music doesn’t have to carry a ‘message’ or wave a banner – it can be the antidote to and soothing balm to the struggles in life. And Hollie Cooks songs are certainly that.
It’s my expectations (rather than any fault of the artiste) wanting just a bit of the Slits edge, attitude and off-the-wall, adventurous vibe.
I wanted to address this directly, rather than calling the album something like ‘cuddly rather than feisty‘ which I guess is alluding to the same thing…
I consulted Rhoda Dakar – a friend of the whole Cook family. (I first held Hollie as a five day old baby! she once told me). She thinks my expectation is unfair. Whilst not ‘speaking for Hollie’ she told me.
I learned a lot about early reggae from Paul and Steve’s record collection. I loved the NY Dolls and punk, but we are who we are and no amount of rebranding can turn us into something else. She grew up in a happy home, surrounded with love and her music is the result!
And another thing I overlooked that Rhoda pointed out: Boy George is her Godfather and Culture Club, musically were probably more of an influence.
I hadn’t thought about that. Hollies mum Jenni Cook was Culture Clubs backing singer. The upbeat vibe, the cover of Everything I Own – it makes sense.
I’ve always followed Hollies career, since I saw her with the Slits, to her fabulous Shangri-La’s cover, Walking In the Sand, writing about Happy Hour and her live show, where I said…among other things:
Hollie Cook’s default setting is her smile. Somehow that smile embeds itself at the very core of her voice, her songs and her music.
Hollie Cook is majestic – the modern-day queen of Lovers Rock. God Save Her… and her friends & family.
Shy Girl really is beyond criticism and Hollie Cook is making exactly the music that she wants to make.
All words Ged Babey except quite a lot of press release content, in italics.
Thanks to Rhoda Dakar for her input – Version Girl In Dub is still available.
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