Musical dresses, circular doors, chirping toy birds, sonic hallucinations: in Kirsty Almeida we've the return, at last, of the enigmatic true eccentric. Her music (like her life) is magical, the kind of radiant soul-revue sophistication that's been gone so long it suddenly feels brand new; crystalline vocals untouched by meddling sheen, live instrumentation tinkling across your synapses, the glowing warmth of classic song-writing pulsing like amber jewels. Her debut album, 'Pure Blue Green"' is a timeless spectrum of soul, folk, blues and sumptuously intricate voodoo pop beamed through the prism of her gifted seven-piece band. Signed to the legendary Decca label in the summer of 2009, her debut album (like her) took the scenic route to get here: mostly written in two months in a friend's converted stables in Sheffield in 2007 where she lived the artistic dream (immersed in paints, fabrics, instruments and fairy lights) while she and her band, hewn from Manchester's vibrant jazz scene, conjured the musical magic. ...show more

Musical dresses, circular doors, chirping toy birds, sonic hallucinations: in Kirsty Almeida we've the return, at last, of the enigmatic true eccentric. Her music (like her life) is magical, the kind of radiant soul-revue sophistication that's been gone so long it suddenly feels brand new; crystalline vocals untouched by meddling sheen, live instrumentation tinkling across your synapses, the glowing warmth of classic song-writing pulsing like amber jewels. Her debut album, 'Pure Blue Green"' is a timeless spectrum of soul, folk, blues and sumptuously intricate voodoo pop beamed through the prism of her gifted seven-piece band. Signed to the legendary Decca label in the summer of 2009, her debut album (like her) took the scenic route to get here: mostly written in two months in a friend's converted stables in Sheffield in 2007 where she lived the artistic dream (immersed in paints, fabrics, instruments and fairy lights) while she and her band, hewn from Manchester's vibrant jazz scene, conjured the musical magic.

"A lot of musicians will talk about The Magic," she says. "Something happens in the room and I can see colours or flashes of light or I'm overwhelmed by texture." 'Pure Blue Green' was produced by the mythological Youth (U2, Primal Scream, The Verve, Beth Orton, one half of electronic duo The Fireman with Sir Paul McCartney). The first time Youth heard her songs, he was astonished and told her "this is really well-rounded, amazing, sophisticated song-writing'". " I didn't even know who he was," admits Kirsty, " The first time I met him, at his house, his 76 year old mother answered the door wearing a bomber jacket and she was really posh and really lovely and heavily into very intense hip-hop.

She said 'I'm really sorry, Youth is asleep'. So I thought Youth was a youth, like 19 years old." Finding an instant connection through their musical, ideological and psychedelic minds, they became inspired collaborators, recording the album in October/November 2009 at State Of The Ark Studios in Richmond, Surrey, the vintage boutique studio owned by song-writer/producer Terry Britten (and loved by Regina Spektor), a tantalising grotto of valve equipment, a Steinway B grand piano, a Hammond B3 and a dazzling vintage Wurlitzer. Prior to recording, Kirsty and her musicians (drums, upright bass, keyboard, guitar, trumpet, trombone, saxophone) spent two weeks on an experimental adventure - relocating to Spain where they played, sang, swapped instruments, fought, cried and laughed "until, by the end, I had a proper, real band, as opposed to me singing over some session musicians". Also intrinsic to the album was assistant producer John Ellis, the renowned keyboard player/producer/multi-instrumentalist who previously worked with Lily Allen, Tom Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae and who Kirsty describes as "an old spider wizard who lives in a ballroom in Manchester". ...show less