Just like the International Space Station, it took an inter-continental and multi-national effort to put Jai Malano’s first solo album Rocket Girl into orbit. The Austin, Texas, based songwriter and singer is the former front person of the Fort Worth based ensemble, The Royal Rhythmaires. They produced two fine albums over the past few years,but Rocket Girl is one giant leap for Jai Malano. She makes a smooth landing and made a fine album that will surely be a hit with fans of vintage rock & roll, post war rhythm & blues, rockabilly and jump blues. This isn’t so much a time capsule, but a fresh updating of these great sounds.

Rocket Girl is the product of the wonderful collaboration between Malano and French guitarist, Nico Duportal. Duportal serves as the album’s producer and his band The Rhythm Dudes provides the retro rockin’ support for the mostly original material, penned by Malano. This brand new album was released by the London based Rhythm Bomb Records. It was recorded on October 27- 29 of 2014 at the Black Shack Recording Studios in Calw, Germany. The CD was recorded, mixed and mastered by Rawand Biaziany.  

This twelve song international odyssey has its roots firmly planted in American soil and has that wonderful sound that came from the dawn of the space age. The album blasts off with two Malano original up-tempo rockers, You Made Me Love You and Learn About a Man before shifting into a Bo Diddley beat for Don’t. One of the many highlights of Rocket Girl comes via the album’s title track and lyrics which are a lot of fun. ‘Go get your space suit ready / Jump into the spaceship daddy / Were going to get nice and sweaty / Don’t need no gravity daddy / We’re going to take it nice and steady...’

From there it is on to the album’s first of four covers by way of the Leiber & Stoller classic, Hound Dog. By now listeners are keenly aware that Malano has a powerful, natural contralto singing voice. She also knows how to use it. Malano has a tremendous sense of timing and swing. She punctuates her lyrics in such a way her voice functions as an additional rhythm instrument. It is a very effective and potent combination.

As exciting a vocalist as Malano is, it may not even be her strongest asset as a musician. Her songwriting is phenomenal. It is real, to the point and unambiguous. She writes with an incredible sense of meter. She is able to convey her missives with a direct unapologetic delivery that is irresistibly fun.

She follows Hound Dog with a mid tempo original Johnny Knows that has a lyric that is as dark as it is seductive. The second cover is the Ike Turner tune Matchbox...I’m Going to Forget About You. Here, Duportal channels Turner’s frenetic attack on the guitar. His playing stands in sharp contrast to the almost off handed, nonchalant approach to the lyric employed by Malano who sounds like she is well on her way to forgetting.

Schnick-Schnack Boogie is a jump blues original where Malano deals with another male archetype. ‘I have no time to chase around a rat / you’re just a pimp without a hat.’

The band and Malano dive right into an old Leroy Kirkland stomper, So Good to My Baby before settling down a bit with another great Malano original, Tell Me. This song is about love, obsession and a search for the truth, no matter the consequences.  Duportal and company find the right sultry groove to go with this dark tale.

Let Me Be is, by contrast, an upbeat number with a lyric that has the song’s protagonist seeking closure even though she is barely keeping her head above a murky undercurrent of lost love.  

The album closes with Joe Tex’s Ain’t I a Mess. Malano makes a beautiful mess of this rocker. The tune makes for the perfect album closer.

Malano is no longer a co-pilot; she is the captain of the ship and that seems to be a position for which she is perfectly suited. Having followed Malano’s career for a few years now, it is wonderful to see the public sit up and start to take notice as everyone, it seems, wants to bask in the glow of this charismatic rising star.

Jai Malano’s Rocket Girl is like a dance party in a spaceship. It is an exhilarating ride of redemption where this chanteuse finds many of the destinations that make life on this planet so enjoyable.

- David Mac

Editor’s Note: To learn more about this young singer, you are welcome to check out this interview which can be found in the archive section of our site.