SINGLE REVIEW: GRACE KELLY - OUTTA MY HEAD

Looking every bit as glamorous as her famous namesake is Grace Kelly, on the cover of her second excellent single of the year, "Outta My Head". It was the song with which she opened her recent set at The Green Note where she suitably wowed in both her fleeting solo set and as a key part of Rob Jones's "Restless Dream". Her set that day was played solo, this single opens to a steady drum beat and a blend of instruments, some slightly distorted. It all makes for an opening that grabs the attention, setting things up for Grace to appear.

For those who need a bit of back story Grace has relocated from New Zealand to Manchester, bringing with her a clutch of tunes both old and new, however leaving behind any ongoing relationships. Some of this is covered in her excellent debut EP, "Table For One", still sounding as good today as it did on release, some of it seems to be being covered here.

Grace's vocals have an effortless ease to them, at times they are almost spoken like for the closing section of the final line.

"Dwell in the depths of you and me

Strange sudden sense we're not happy

Nice guys finish last, well you put your foot in that

So you're top of my list dirty laundry

Thank God for my own company

I still have your back, don't think of me like that"

Grace always supplies an exquisite chorus and this song is no exception, musically you can revel in the hypnotic fiddle playing from Shimna Bridget, rivalling for attention with the still distorted guitar, however the main event is Grace's delivery, as her vocals glide over the harmony line. Things like the way the word "Head" simultaneously closes the second line while opening the third line, or the emphasis on the words "right from wrong" all go to make the chorus so endearing.

"Made a deal with the devil instead of putting myself first again

But I can't get you outta my head, outta my head, outta my

Head in my hands yeah they're holdin on

to all I know bout right from wrong

But I can't get it outta my head, outta my head, outta my head"

There's that neat allusion to the old Robert Johnson blues myth, that he sold his soul to the Devil at a Mississippi crossroads in exchange for his extraordinary guitar and vocal talents, which might explain Grace's myriad of talents, however her skills did lead to her leaving New Zealand and that was done solo, even when as the next verse suggests things got a little awkward.

"Everything said through gritted teeth

Man-made inconsistency

Cooked me dinner then didn't eat it just stood there

It's a really big problem

Cuz if I'm standing at an altar who's in the wrong?"

The bridge contains the future options and poses the question

"Forgive and forget or live and regret?"

It's a glorious single and along with "Bad Idea" the earlier single, it really sets things up for the

EP due to follow early 2027, which is surely shaping up to be Grace Kelly's year.

Pre Save Link ffm.to/outtamyheadgracekelly