Reviews
“exceptional and versatile voice” The Scotsman, Edinburgh Festival
“…. a roaring near falsetto, a cavernous chest register, a terrifying wail”
The Sunday Observer
“Sianed Jones performed an epic piece with her voice and violin with non word sounds of an incredible breadth and richness.” Klankunst Festival Germany
“It was difficult to find words to describe the breathtaking performance by soprano Sianed Jones……” Soloist with Gwilym Simcock Norfolk and Norwich Festival
“ The voice is full of earth grit and power. Its range is impressive, physically emotionally and dynamically…..Her stamina and control are qualities that deserve applause for themselves in a solo piece that is an hour in length.” Harry Jepson (‘Taliesin’ a video performance installation )
Reviews of Surrender Album:
“Having being brought up with Welsh choral singing, Sianed Jones subsequently travelled extensively taking in Egypt, Madagascar and Mongolia. These influences can be heard throughout this, her debut album. Sianed performs on a myriad of instruments – voice / violin / harmonium / bass viol / bass / drum samples / marimba / piano – and the material is probably the most intriguing of all the recordings reviewed in this edition of Musician.”
‘Rain crack heavy sleep, wishing for a blue eyed dream.’ Shining through musically is ‘Sut Wyt Ti? its folk fiddle mixing perfectly with funk bass, and ‘Under the Flyover’, which manages to blend arpeggio plucking with a very sensual message to great effect.” – Musician
“Surrender is a strong set of nine songs with imaginative arrangements for a fluent group with Sianed at their heart.”
“….. a stream of global echoes draped around slinky beats, helping carry the political and ethical weight of words she quotes from Virginia Wolf: “As a woman I have no country / as a woman I have no country / as a woman my country is the Whole world.”
“This declaration reverberates through the gesture of identity made in two songs one with a reggae pulse, which have texts in Welsh. Stepping back into English, Sianed sings of love and desire without cliché or clumsiness and that’s rare enough. Cris Cheeks’s text “What’s The Time Mr Wolf?” addresses the events of 11 September 2001 in a way that’s moving and thought provoking. Surrender allows numerous musics to cross-fertilise while words and wordless vocalising transmit sensitivity and intelligence. Anyone seriously interested in the current state of song should pay it the attention it deserves.” – Julian Cowley The Wire
“locked in grooves that keep changing rhythm”, to quote one of the lyrics over which Sianed navigates effortlessly in the sizzling waters of ethno punk virtuosity. Her vocal style varies between husky jazz lowers notes through the hard edged Bulgarian side of India to a soaring clear soprano, occasionally exquisitely quiet up there in the stratosphere. This diva chants rhythmic psalm like patterns, repeating key phrases as the music requires. “
“The brilliance of her violin playing is appropriately prominent throughout, providing light pizzicato backing tracks, jabbing reggae off beats, or soloing with deft articulation on a devilishly sinuous celtic style reel. “
“My favourite is the Scandinavian three – part fiddle piece in the middle of the welsh song Sut Wyt Ti? (sorry no translation provided). The album structure holds together, the voice, violin and compelling grooves uniting otherwise disparate elements of salsa piano and heavy metal guitar distortion. Totally unique.”
Sylvia Hallet Resonance