debut album – Page 11 – Get In Her Ears

ALBUM: Hilary Woods – ‘Colt’

A contemplative, carefully crafted record which schools listeners in how to come undone: Hilary Woods‘ debut album Colt is an exquisitely painful exploration of grief, separation, and abandonment. The Dublin-based artist signed to altruistic label Sacred Bones to release her first full-length record, and the partnership is one we wholly approve of.

Written and recorded at her home in Dublin, Colt was later mixed by and co-produced with James Kelly (WIFE, Altar of Plagues) in Berlin in the winter of 2017. The dynamics of the production and Woods’ layering of multiple elements – including piano, synth, tape machine, field recordings, vocals, and old string instruments – has culminated in a record which comfortably overlaps both the acoustic and electronic genres.

Opening track ‘Inhaler’ is a delicate example of this. It’s a pensive, melancholy song born from Woods’ struggle with homesickness. She explores her grief through tentative electronics and orchestral sounds, with her mysterious vocals floating calmly above. Following track ‘Prodigal Dog’ is a mesmeric examination of emotional claustrophobia: a disarming fusion of strings, understated synths, and hushed vocals.

There is a gentle urgency that permeates each of the eight tracks on Colt, and on ‘Take Him In’ Woods’ reflective lyrics and cautious keys instill this delicate unease further. Poetic track ‘Kith’ bleeds in after, with it’s divine, yet somber themes of “running on empty” in what feels like emotional purgatory. The persistent, steady beats and fluttering keys on the remarkable ‘Jesus Said’ mark a brief change in tempo on the record, as Woods laments a sincere disconnection and a search for absolution for almost six minutes. ‘Sever’ is equally as affecting with its heartbeat-like percussion, and more of Woods’ measured, poignant vocals.

Penultimate track ‘Black Rainbow’ though bleakly named, is an enchanting listen, and closing track ‘Limbs’ is a captivating collection of distant, alluring keys. Under all of the melancholy lurks a quiet power: a power that comes from being open and honest about genuine pain and how to deal with it.

To call Hilary Woods’ work on Colt siren-like is to do her a disservice; her music has a far wider, more disarming reach. Her emotional articulation and manipulation of sounds makes the record a dizzying but rewarding lesson, and we are grateful to have been allowed to endure this aural exploration of grief with her.

Colt is released via Sacred Bones on 8th June. Pre-order your copy here.
Hilary Woods headlines St Pancras Old Church on 11th June. Grab a ticket here.

Photo Credit: Joshua Wright

Kate Crugington
@KCBobCut

June 6, 2018

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ALBUM: Fenne Lily – ‘On Hold’

Tentative, pensive and poetic, Fenne Lily has the ability to bruise and heal her listeners all within the space of a single track. Raised in Dorset and now based in Bristol, her debut album On Hold is a beautiful collection of soft, yet seething guitar ballads that strike the heartstrings in a brutal, yet beautiful fashion.

Wary of being “pigeon-holed” after her over-night Spotify success with self-released single ‘Top To Toe’ a few years ago, it’s clear from opening track ‘Car Park’ that Fenne is self-aware when it comes to her songwriting style. “I’ll be the first to admit that my songs are far from uplifting,” she explains, “but while ‘Car Park’ chronicles yet another period of false hope and turmoil, it was written following the realisation that damaging patterns are enabled and suffered by the passive. I cannot and will not blame my heartache on anyone but myself, so this isn’t a song about pain, it’s a song about power.”

It’s this quiet “power” that permeates her record, so even in moments of genuine sadness there’s a sense of relief accompanying many of her tracks. ‘Three Oh Nine’ may ache with desperation, but her brave revelations about fearing abandonment make it a therapeutic listen – “it’s a first for me, it’s a pain I need.”

The urgent and quietly consuming ‘What’s Good’ extends a somber but beautiful invitation for connection, and it flows wonderfully into the heavy grace of ‘The Hand You Deal’. The gentle nod to learned experience from others on ‘More Than You Know’ is pure and compassionate and this is mirrored in her simple acoustic guitar sounds.

Title-track ‘On Hold’ is a grateful ode to small acts of kindness, whilst ‘Top To Toe’ documents the seemingly inevitable changes you start to make when mixed feelings start to appear – “So I’m changing all my days to make your nights / it’s just not right.” The light, refreshing honesty of ‘Bud’ follows, with the charming ‘Brother’ behind it, before the penultimate ‘For A While’ opens more tender romantic wounds. ‘Car Park Overflow’ bookends this melancholy but hopeful record.

With the aid of producers Tamu Massif, James Thorpe, PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish, and the mixing skills of Ali Chant, Fenne Lily’s debut album is set of delicate but passionate laments about the pain and the clarity that comes with falling in and out of love with others, and trying to be kind to yourself. Don’t put it On Hold, invest in her music immediately.

On Hold is available online and in stores now. Order your copy here.

Catch Fenne Lily live at London’s Moth Club on April 10th (tickets here).

Follow Fenne Lily on Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Hollie Fernando

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

April 6, 2018January 3, 2021

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ALBUM: Black Gold Buffalo – ‘Black Gold Buffalo’

A shimmering example of the East London band’s patience and dedication to creating atmospheric, dark-pop gems, Black Gold Buffalo‘s self-titled debut album is a precious body of work that’s been well worth waiting for. Line-up changes and relocations have altered the band’s output since their conception in 2014, but their new record, released via their own label Buff Rekkids, is a sharp exploration of personal experiences, frustrations and disillusionment with the capital city.

Hypnotic opener ‘Lay It Down’ is a sublime musical tonic for nagging thoughts and unresolved anxieties, with vocalist Keziah Stillwell’s rhetorical line “How do you feel?” echoing out over Joy Joseph’s steady beats with poignant resonance. It flows straight in to ‘Pearls Deep’, which is a blend of atmospheric bass lines from Hannah Holland, melodic guitar riffs from Marc Hayward and that consistent percussion which makes all of Black Gold Buffalo’s tracks ripple with intensity.

The rolling rhythms on ‘Weightless’ are the perfect catalyst to ‘Start A Fire’, which is a haze of smoldering vocals, fiery guitar and bass lines that cut through the smoke. The funky ‘Penkenna’ keeps the heat rising with it’s atmospheric beats which promise to “take you away”, before ‘Anntropix’ breaks the spell, playing out in a soothing, yet anthemic fashion.

Keziah’s vocals blaze in full glory on the mesmerising ‘Magnets’, while exquisite penultimate track ‘Body Of Verity’ is a swirling fusion of bass, guitar & electronics. Brooding bass and guitar melt together once more alongside driving rhythms and bittersweet vocals here, before the slow-burning ‘Amillion’ closes the record.

Combining emotion with integrity, DIY ethics with big ambitions and blurring genre boundaries with ease, Black Gold Buffalo’s debut continues to strengthen after every listen. Help them celebrate their success at the album launch at The Shacklewell Arms on April 10th. RSVP here.

Order your Limited Edition USB version of the album here.

Follow Black Gold Buffalo on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

April 5, 2018January 3, 2021

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ALBUM: Dream Wife – ‘Dream Wife’

Fearless on stage and now on record, Dream Wife‘s debut self-titled album is a joyful declaration of defiance and self-autonomy, designed to motivate listeners in to embracing life, love, and the fires that spark when you overcome adversity.

Released via Lucky Number on 26th January, the album bursts open with ‘Let’s Make Out’, a confident display of catchy riffs and Rakel’s trademark sweet & shouty vocals. It’s a shameless celebration of consensual lip-action that will have you eyeing up your crush’s cupid’s bow. We were on set for the video shoot at Dream Wife’s ‘Fake Prom’ last year, so hearing this track makes us gush with happiness.

The liberating ‘Somebody’ is a poignant anthem about reclaiming your body after sexual assault, with a chorus that all women should adopt as a mantra: “I am not my body, I am somebody”. Despite the traumatic context, it’s a steady, life-affirming listen that resonates long after Alice’s guitar riffs stop ringing. It leads in to the riotous ‘Fire’, which blazes with glorious energy. Bella’s bass smoulders as Rakel sings of a flickering, heated romance.

The theme of love permeates the record and the Wives explore its spectrum in numerous ways. ‘Hey Heartbreaker’ will have you staring down any troublemaker who tries to be reckless with your heart, whilst the soft, sultry sounding ‘Love Without Reason’ explores the unjustified adoration we bestow on our partners. Previous single ‘Kids’ plays out with its care-free, up-tempo attitude, as does the intoxicating ‘Taste’.

In the blink of an eye, the trio can switch to antagonistic, as Rakel’s mockingly sweet vocals on ‘Act My Age’ perfectly demonstrate. She confronts listeners in the chorus with the line “Do I amuse you? / Do I confuse you?” with her sharp delivery, making this a standout track on the record. The brief, youthful urgency of ‘Right Now’ flows into an invitation you can’t refuse on penultimate track, ‘Spend The Night’.

Live highlight ‘F.U.U.’ is the perfect way to end this exploration of relentless passion in all its forms from the trio who “worship at the twin altars of David Bowie and Madonna.” There’s a reason these self-proclaimed “Bad Bitches” are doing so well. Their dedication to their music, their fans and to each other is more intense than any of the forces that seek to undermine them. #DreamWife4Lyf.