If his name sounds familiar, it’s probably because it is. Joey Collins hasn’t stayed quiet in a corner waiting to be discovered, he’s been here, there and everywhere trying to get his haunting voice and his bluesy riffs heard.

From touring in a band, to making it out on his own releasing four EP’s, being a regular on the London music scene and featuring on BBC Introducing twice – it would be an understatement to say the 21-year-old has been working hard.

Now he’s released his first album, the 12-track enchantment, Souls – named after the first song of the album.

The astute layering of riffs which begin the first track set the tone for the album, it’s clear this isn’t an album you can just listen to, you have no choice but to feel it.

Each pluck of the strings pulls on something inside.

I’d read that Joey Collins’ voice was comparable to Kurt Cobain’s, but I wasn’t convinced until I heard it for myself.

Throughout the album you can hear a distinct Nirvana influence which many artists have tried and failed to incorporate in their own work but with Joey’s breathy vocals, it works.

It’s evident that Joey is trying to prove himself with this album. It could be easy to put him in a box with other young, ‘alternative’ singer-song writers but then he pulls out power chords in the song Skeleton that would not be out of place at an arena gig.

He also shows his experience in producing with the experimental element to songs like Crawl and the instrumental clincher of the album An Ode to Trick finger.

With this album, Joey hints at the different styles he can do, the different paths his career could follow.

If the key to prolonged success is diversity, then Joey Collins will be a name everyone will know for years to come.

Words Amy Blyth

Musik Magazine