‘No Sudden Moves’ is the latest stunning release from the ‘Velvet Voice of the Valleys’, Amy Wadge and is without a doubt her most focussed, effective and disciplined work to date. Having now recruited the talents of Bobby Kewley and Henry Priestman (The Christians), together with ever-loyal drummer, Aled Richards (ex. Catatonia) she continues to provide a much needed breath of sonic fresh air via her albums.

Those who are familiar with her work are no doubt aware of her unique talent as a songwriter and musician and this new album will certainly not disappoint her loyal fan base. It is also guaranteed to generate new found interest with those unfamiliar with her work, especially anyone who has a serious interest in music produced and performed to the highest possible standards.

Having, in the past been compared to the likes of Joni Mitchell, Alanis Morrisette and perhaps even a slightly toned down (in some respects) K T Tunstall etc. it is only fair at this stage to say that Amy has developed her own style in creating music with her own level of depth and soul, which is quite simply unmatched.

Looking back over her sonic history she has come a long way since her youthful days as part of early 90’s band ‘Two of a Mind’ at the tender age of 16, charting at number 75 with ‘The Great Pretender’. Since then she has performed at such diverse places as Glastonbury, The Rugby World Cup in Sydney, Cambridge Folk Festival, Lorient Celtic Festival in Brittany and The Royal Albert Hall and has toured and performed alongside such luminaries as Jeff Beck, Lenny Kravitz and Eric Bibb. Further credit to her talent was given in 2002 and 2003 when she won the category of ‘Best Female Solo Artist’ at the Welsh music awards, beating Charlotte Church to the top spot at the former event.

However her first mini album release came off the back of her first solo single release, ‘Saddest Eyes’ in 2001, and was entitled, ‘The Famous Hour’ which was basically an album of solo acoustic material, recorded in 2002 in an hour! However the album gave the listener an effective insight into the mindset and productive work of this musician, albeit in a somewhat raw format.

The second album entitled ‘Woj’ (strictly for pronunciation purposes!) developed and expanded her sound further, with the addition of several session musicians, and the new album extends the idea further still, now finding a solid foundation together with a definitive band.

It could be considered that ‘No Sudden Moves’ is an aptly titled work due partly to its approximate year to official release, but it has certainly been worth every minute in wait. It is produced by ‘The Erneez’, who are Henry Priestman (The Christians) and Guy Batson (St. Etienne) and three singles have emerged this year so far, prior to album release: The first two being ‘USA?, We’ll Wait And See...’, which also saw a separate release sang in Welsh as ‘USA, Oes Angen Mwy…?’, and it is this latter version that reached number 9 in the charts there. B-sides included ‘Here in My Hands’ which incidentally opens the album and a beautiful, subliminal reworking of The Manic Street Preacher’s hit ‘Design for Life’. The third single is the aforementioned Manic’s hit coupled with the track ‘Keep on Ticking’, which is the penultimate track on the album.

There has also been a mini DVD release made available recently, which was recorded as a sort of ‘live in the studio’ kind of affair and with the addition of an informative interview is an intimate look into the thoughts and ideas behind the new album.

With 13 tracks on offer, everyone of them being an absolute gem, this is indeed music that will beg repeated plays, whether in the car or at home or in fact just about anywhere and is one of those albums that you just know will stand the test of time for many years to come. Standout tracks include those already in single format: ‘USA, We’ll wait and See’ and ‘Here in My Hands’ alongside of course the intimate ‘Design for Life’, but I personally feel drawn to the track ‘Pulling Me In’ for next single contender, as it is an instant attention grabber and in fact one of the most captivating songs on the album.

In conclusion this is a really amazing release that exceeds all expectations – a true desert island gem in every respect! Agreed, it’s been a long time coming but Amy really has delivered the goods with this one and it will surely gather momentum and increase the already sure and steadfast fan base. I sincerely hope she gets the credit and recognition she deserves – music really doesn’t get much better than this!

TOTP?, we’ll wait and see!