Reviews
Artist:Eddi Reader
Album:Love Is The Way
Label:Rough Trade
Tracks:13
Website:http://www.myspace.com/eddi
Ex Fairground Attraction member Eddi Reader will release her tenth solo studio album entitled Love is the Way (Rough Trade) on April 21, 2009. The album began life as additional tracks written for an intended Best Of CD, but as fate would have it, Reader loved the songs so much that she decided to create an album of entirely new material.
This CD is a big change from her very well received Sings the Songs of Robert Burns CD, but a very positive change. Despite being recorded right in Mark Freegard's studio in Glasgow's Argyle Street, above the Glasgow-to-Helensburgh trainline, the sound remains airy and light. The band played live and mostly comprises her usual collaborators. Long time friend and co writer Boo Hewerdine once again joins Eddi in both writing and performance. As the title implies this is a collection of songs about love but musically and in some instances lyrically, it is so much more than that.
The title track, Love Is The Way, a Declan O'Rourke song, encapsulates the album's instinctively romantic side and picks up from the surprisingly upbeat Silent Bells, where Reader ponders that, "all that we are without love is silent bells".
The beautiful John Douglas song New York City, tells the story of a longing for the city which makes it feel as romantic a place as Paris. Eddi jokes that John had written this song about a different woman but she had claimed it as hers, since she's had her own adventures in New York. Whilst ostensibly about a woman, the song is also a love song to a city. "You told me I was good luck, I'm seventeen in Kilmarnock," she tells us in Never Going Back Again (Queen Of Scots), in which Eddi cleverly adds her own twist to the well known song by Fleetwood Mac.
Dragonflies and Dandelion, demonstrate that Eddi can comfortably blend folk And jazz, to good effect, evoking imagery of summer evenings. Fallen Twice, was written by Jack Maher, from personal experience and Eddi delivers a stirring rendition on the CD. This song of the regret of a last goodbye before a relationship ends is haunting and allows us to see the gentler side of her voice, not to mention her talented at interpreting other people's stories.
The most pop oriented track, Roses, and the aching balladry of Sandy Ray's My Shining Star, demonstrate other facets of this woman's vocal ability, of which there seems to be no end. Many have said that ss a whole, the album, somewhat unusually tells a love story from beginning to end, yet I think each song more than stands its ground as a single offering and I leaned more towards the songs as separate entities on listening to the album. My favourite on the CD would have to be I Won't Stand in Your Way. This is simply beautiful and sways away from the declarations of love from the rest of the CD. I heard someone say that the female in this song obviously still feels affection for this guy, but we are led to think she isn't willing to let him mess with her. She's letting him go out tonight, but she probably won't be there when he gets back. I found this fascinating as when I first heard it, I thought it was from the viewpoint of a mother singing about her child; "You're growing up, you drop my hand, before I knew it, you could stand. I find it hard, the letting go......" Either way, the song is exquisite and you can almost hear the letting go take place in the song.
What really stands out about Eddi Reader is that she is comfortable in her own musical skin and knows what she likes, rather than following the masses in search of greater recognition and commercial success. Kudos to her for that as this album has a very honest feel as a result. It has already been commented on by several people in my house when played in the background at dinner parties so perhaps the honest, laid back approach is as effective in gaining new fans as the upbeat Scottish songs. Whatever the case, I think this is a timeless album that belongs in everyone's collection, whether they already know Eddi's music or not.
Helen Mitchell