Jocee Tuck’s sweet, light voice is approachable and kind, reminiscent of Ingrid Michaelson or Regina Spektor. There’s a myriad of instruments on her debut. Vibraphone, xylophone, piano, acoustic guitar, ukulele, glockenspiel and percussion are all performed by Tuck herself, with everything from banjo to trombone from others. The songs are well ordered, with reflective track Black Heart breaking up the playful percussion heavily used throughout the rest of the album.
Like Sufjan Stevens and others, Tuck manages to give her own distinctive take on biblical stories and religious traditions that prevents her debut from speaking only to those practising her faith. Recorded in Auckland between Little Monster and Black Orange Studios the production quality is certainly worthy of mention. With the quirky cool of your favourite youth group leader ‘Mt. Dora’ plays like a bedtime story, a fairytale, or perhaps more accurately, a parable. The cover pictures Tuck playing the xylophone surrounded by a pompom wreath, an image that perfectly encapsulates the album’s light-hearted feel.
