Giant Palm. Naima Bock

Naima Bock is not exactly of your average descent. With a Brazilian father and Greek mother, born in England, she lived in Brazil in her youth and now operates from London. She played in the band Goat Girl, see this blog for that band's latest album, but left it in 2019 to pursue a solo career. The first proof of her talent lies in front of me in the form of the album Giant Palm.

A few weeks ago I reviewed her single 'Toll' and wrote that her voice was not her strongest feature. And let me start there today, this is no different on Giant Palm, of course not. Quite often she sings herself through her songs with a wobbly voice. No auto tune in sight, it appears. In a way people familiar with British folk will recognise the way of singing. Slightly breathy, in a deeper register, hiding her shortcomings in a clever way. This is where the story of Giant Palm may start, but certainly not ends.

On her album Naima Bock takes the listener by the ears and leads him/her through her musical universe that ranges as wide as it is far. The common denominator is that all songs are slow and have some sort of a folk element. From here the journey that Naima Bock created with arranger and producer Joel Burton starts.

Just as easily a beat kicks in followed by a jazzy trumpet giving a folk song two different flavours within two seconds from each other. In 'Toll' the atmosphere of early Traffic is conjured up, as if Chris Wood is still alive and well playing his flute over a song like '40.000 Headmen'. In another song electronics come in to be replaced by a set of violins. Listen to a slow moving, jazzy 'Instrumental', with a piano and saxophone in the spotlight. Expect the unexpected indeed.

The result is that Giant Palm is a very varied album where Naima Bock not only makes the best of her voice, that totally fits this music but is able to show different sides of her musical self in a successful way. No matter how modest Giant Palm and Naima Bock at some points on the album may sound, the end result is an album that is presented in confident way. It's here and deserves to be. With 'Toll' she grabbed my attention and I was pleasantly surprised with what followed.

The album ends with a foray into her paternal roots with a Brazilian song, by Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes fully in the bossa nova style with a modern twist. A final surprise, underscoring the adventurous album Giant Palm is.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Giant Palm here:

https://naimabock.bandcamp.com/album/giant-palm