Hannah Rose Platt
Album: Portraits
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 12
Website: http://hannahroseplatt.com/

'Portraits' is a wonderfully accurate title for Hannah Rose Platt's first CD. Every song on the album is a miniature picture, a thumbnail sketch frozen in time. There's almost a sense of 'Pictures in an Exhibition' as successive tracks pass in front of you; each one having its own characters and its own story to tell.

Originally from Liverpool and now living in London, Hannah Rose Platt went to Nashville, the home of country music, to record this, her first full-length album. To support her she brought together an array of American country talent who had worked with the likes of Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton for the recording but these resources are used with restraint, leaving Hannah Rose Platt and her guitar very much at the forefront of every song.

The album starts off with a track entitled 'Little Screws'. the song paints a sketch of a woman working in a stiflingly monotonous job in a factory, putting screws into a machine and wondering what happened to all the dreams and aspirations that she set out with.

Hannah Rose Platt has an excellently controlled voice that can soar up to top notes than hang there softly, without having to force either the voice or the dynamics.

There are some very strong songs on this CD, most of which have been written by Hannah Rose Platt herself. 'Crumbs' is another short-story-in-a-song about the hopelessness of living with an alcoholic husband who loves the bottle more than his wife.

The songs are often poignant but without resorting to saccharine sentimentality. They highlight the resilience of the human spirit in difficult circumstances. Another example of this is 'Birthday Card', a song about a letter written to a daughter from a mother just released from prison. The song is full of regret for the times together that they have lost but underneath there is always a spark of hope and optimism for better times ahead.

For me, one of the moving songs is '1954' which is told from the point of view of an old woman with dementia who, in her mind, is forever waiting for her husband to turn up and take her out on their first date. Yet she fails to recognise the man when he comes to visit her every night, at her nursing home. The story is beautifully an subtly told with no hint of pity or melodrama. Indeed it is the simplicity of the piece that makes it so affective.

This is a remarkable debut album. Both the writing style and performance are self-assured and mature. Hannah Rose Platt's voice is clear, melodic and her performances bring her stories to life. She is a singer who really knows what she is doing and where she is going. She's going to the top.

Tim Goodwin