Kranky 
Jessica Bailiff : Jessica Bailiff (2002)*°°
Jessica has a hushy sleepy droning voice, where on the first track I wondered how far it could bring us in moods, but in the overall album everything seems to work out fine, in a somewhat dreamy mood.
With the help of Jesse Edwards (from Red Morning Chorus ; see review of that band’s release at next review page), and former bandmate Noel Keesee, with their additional instruments, like on the first tracks, ("Swallowed" (complete song) & "Hour Of The Traces") from some medieval sounding strings, called the violin-uke, with even one track with sitar, on “The Hiding Place”), with double tracked vocals (on "Big Hill"/complete track), with nice guitars (and droning electric guitars at "Disappear" /complete track) and with some semi-electric effects on “Mary” and on "The Thief", and with some piano and bass, and some reverbs on "Time Is An Echo", and with songs that work for it, and the other way around, I guess the best advantages have been taken out of the present elements, which I think is very positive and with a successful result.
Some other projects by Jessica :
* Elegy : "Radio Broadcasts", an indie-rock chamber ensemble onsisting of Alan Sparhawk of Low, Jessica Bailiff, Brian John Mitchell, Mark gartman, Jesse Beacom, Ryley Fogg, and Michael Anderson with a drone composition project (for a murdered friend)
* Clear Horizon : David Pearce (Flying Saucer Attack), Rachel Brook & a handful of Bristolian post-rockers collaborating with Jessica, resulting in a sleepy drony set of songs.
Morc Rec. Jessica Bailiff : Old Things -une collection de chansons 1999-2003- (US,2007)**°
Jessica’s previous release was slightly disappointing, also this release does not reveal itself in the form of showing of her talent. The album starts with keyboard drone, a collection of different, well fitting tones with its own overtones, which swell without reason and then fade out again ; it lacks a real structural idea outside the fact it is a well collected drone harmony. The second track builds up from guitar distortion, accompanying a rather expressiveless voice with a few words and lots of ooh’s. It is as if eyes don’t have pupils in them to focus, leaving only a blindfolded, “helpless” (=title) inspiration. A bit of piano fades this mood-only thing out, back to nothing. “Warren”, with minor keys acoustic guitar and organ drones work as a depressing factor, afraid to express more, this is less, with whispery vocals. The certain wishing-well voice can’t reach beyond the surface, shows a ghostly wishful-friendly image, but while expressing it is too monotone and repetitive, and too long, this already vague image fades out because of its hopeless airiness and fragility, not being able to grab anything real enough to remain in focus. “Shadow” is a rather yawning song with lack of energy in guitar playing and singing, but within a certain rhythmical drive it is able to recollect itself, while thinking of someone. By the time of “Crush” and “Amethyst depression” I wonder why the musician(s) didn’t develop more their disciple, personal energy, personality, before already leaving it to the eternal spin, as if poisoned by its slowness. Until here, the least I can say is that the album is consistent, in a rather predictable way, but it gives more reason to go asleep for eternity and forget about this world, for a reason of lack of energy to be able to participate better. When on “Maybe Tomorrow” a small drum machine rhythm participates, the distorted & rhythm guitar rhythmically find its way of pulsating with its faith. This change gives a certain restraint and relief. “Let Time Breath” also recollects this inner pulsating rhythm in the inspiration. It is as if from here that Jessica finds a certain comfort, as if she finds her own inner breathing pattern, calm and centred. It seems like the minimalisms of expression, when following this pulsating drone, like an inner ambient road, it feels like even the listener could find comfort and inner balance along with it. “Nicholson Square” is a bit neo-folk-like, with its acoustic guitars. Also this track follows the same rhythmic patterns. “For April” more sounds like a lullaby (distorted guitar, tambourine, voice). The last track nicely concludes with a collection of returning spiralled movements of distorted guitars.
