"Psycho" by Abz Winter

The latest single ("Psycho") by Abz Winter is available for your enjoyment from tomorrow (Friday) in case you were not already aware.

I've said it before, but it really is such a feature of Abz's work that ignoring it would lessen the accuracy of any review, one of the major features of her growing body of music is how she progresses every time: keeping her songs direct & accessible, yet not slipping into a set formula. Consequently when she cited this one to me as a personal favourite, you can measure her own awareness of her development.

 Another important factor which I also believe is most important in reflecting this growth is that it is driven by her own personal life arc.

A few years ago, Abz released a whole sequence of compelling pop singles, each of which tended to tell a powerful story. I was more than a little worried for what I feared that she was going through to inspire these songs, but she put my mind at rest, explaining that the experiences were those of various friends which she used to create interesting songs: her own life had not then generated material of this nature (she was still in her teens).

Time has moved on & so has Abz & consequently what you hear her singing about now is closer to her own direct observations: which must add to the depth of the truth in her lyrics.

Part of the intervening period was spent in London (always a good source for a certain type of story) and the central character of "Psycho" is a friend she had there "who was really mean after a few drinks". Hence the song's title (judging by the name of the file Abz sent me, I think the original title must have been "Psycho Bitch"). The consequences being "..rarely pretty, usually sloppy and generally lead to friendships ending not to mention sometimes injury and mental distress…".

Just as the words in her songs have evolved to evoke the new topics she is discovering, her music continues along the new, much punchier & harder trajectory of recent releases (listen out for her doubling the guitar solo with screaming). More & more singing with a band rather than just over an accompaniment, Abz still has the high energy approach of her earliest performances but now it seems like her natural talents & musical inclinations have found their true home: and she's still using the power of her voice with taste & discretion.

Discretion is also there in other aspects of her work. Abz doesn't pull her verbal jabs, but even so tends to provide two versions of most songs: one a little more earthy in the choice of language used to get her point across & a second for younger listeners & to get radio play. Equally & ethically while calling people out, there is less a sense of judgement & more one of exasperation: in this case maybe a case of tough love to help her friend address her less attractive behaviours? At any rate, and I admit that I've said this before too, however unrestrained the language, Abz never comes across as unpleasant herself: her true character shines through her songs.