Janet Devlin – Running with Scissors

A June release date couldn’t be more perfect for this record – Running with Scissors feels like summer from the opening moment right through to the last notes of the final track. The first incarnation of this album actually came out a year ago with a limited public distribution, but this version comes with new songs and reworks of old ones. It has been three years since Janet Devlin finished fifth on The X Factor, but her music doesn’t belies its origin alongside artists such as Olly Murs, Leona Lewis and One Direction. This album is different in the Devlin’s individual voice and the honest and clever tone running through it.

Recent single House of Cards has a fantastic rhythm to it and a catchy chorus, but its appealing qualities aren’t isolated to the one song – every track on the album has something that pulls you into it. Things We Lost in the Fire is especially beautiful in its simplicity: it’s a prime example of Devlin’s vocal and songwriting talents. Her cover of The Cure’s Friday I’m in Love doesn’t try to be a copy of the original, instead feeling like an interpretation stemming from emotional attachment to the song.

It’s this feeling of honesty that really brings the album as a whole together – it permeates each song, whether it’s cheerful, melancholy or a combination of the two. There’s a certain quality to the music that give the impression of a sharp mind behind it all. Devlin’s lyrics are clever and relatable, and work wonderfully with the music to make a really solid record. Overall, Running with Scissors is a delightful summer album that you’ll return to in winter when you want a taste of cheerful and intelligent music.

Amy McLelland

Running with Scissors was released on 9^th June 2014. For further information or to order the album visit Janet Devlin’s website here.

Watch the video for House of Cards here: