Sarah Hayes
Album: Woven
Label: Nettwerk
Tracks: 15
Website: http://www.sarahhayes.net

'Woven' feels a few steps further along the same path that Hayes' set out on in her debut EP, 'Mainspring', and those who know this earlier collection will undoubtedly hear how this release has built on those same foundations.The album was designed to be appreciated as a whole and it deserves to be listened to from start to finish with each track giving the others context as the mood ebbs and flows throughout.

From a purely musical perspective, Woven is the perfect title for this project with contrapuntal textures giving the impression of multiple strands running through and alongside each other to create a unified whole. This creates unexpected, satisfying harmony which becomes a suddenly transparent yet rich accompaniment for Hayes's sweet vocal. At those points when the vocals break through, the music maintains momentum and the rhythms continue to drive through each track, dancing effortlessly through a variety of time signatures.

The lyrical material is not introduced until the third track of this work and the minimalistic use of Hayes' voice gives each appearance extra emphasis. There are no gratuitous choruses or refrains and this contributes to the impression that all of the material, lyrical or musical, has been included because it genuinely adds something to the finished article.

The energy that powers through the record lifts gently and briefly along the way giving a sense of colour and contrast. 'Four Loom Weaver' is one such pause for breath and reflection as we reach the midpoint of the album. Despite the warm and earthy accompaniment of the double bass and the rich chords the track conveys a bleak loneliness and has the quality of a requiem. 'The Mill Pond' continues this lamenting theme and brings an unsettled feeling with unpredictable turns in the harmony.

The melancholy is short lived and the music lifts again as we begin to run towards the album's climax. The rewards of following this organic composition to its end grow with each listen and every time there is something undiscovered that breaks through the texture. The quality of the individual performances comes across well in the recording, from the articulation and ornamentation in the violin parts to the pleasing growl of the double bass. The skill of the musicians is undeniable and Hayes takes the opportunity to share her talents as a gifted multi-instrumentalist.

Lee Cuff