Erica Nockalls
Album: Imminent Room
Label: IRL
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.ericanockalls.com

Sometimes writing a CD review is easy - the music has an immediate appeal and you cannot wait to share your views of it with the world. This is not the case with this album. I've had to take my time and only after many listens can I begin to form an impression.

Erica Nockalls is the conservatoire trained violinist who is a member of the Wonderstuff and also performs in a well respected duo with Miles Hunt from that band, whilst also playing with many other artists including the Proclaimers. The opening page of the CD booklet says that the songs making up the album are born out of personal frustration, anger and love and all those emotions come across both in the music and the lyrics.

The initial atmospheric guitars, dreamy vocals and laid back beats of opener 'Manikin' provide a false sense of security which is dispelled on the transition to the first verse where everything becomes twisted and angular - reflecting the lives of the models referred to in the song. The bizarre and, quite frankly, unpleasant John Shuttleworth-like opening of 'Neon Crucifix' thankfully resolves into something musically less challenging though still with plenty of punky attitude as appropriate for a song bemoaning the loss of a friend to religion.

From there on in things become somewhat less aurally disconcerting and, to be honest, more engaging. The music does, however, remain inventive with a highly complex but often incongruously grungy low fi sound suiting the themes of each song - each of which are made clear in the booklet. High spots are 'Cut Them Out' ('deleting people who make you feel nauseous') and 'Its Killer, Darling' ('hating things you used to love') which builds and dies in a beautiful arc of sound. Also impressive is the title track which commences with a lovely fiddle melody before unworded vocals take over and maintain the ethereal mood. The final track 'Goodbye Spider' signifies release and the more chilled ambience of the opening of the first track returns one to some sort of normality feeling curiously changed.

This is by no means an easy listen but it is, for those who persevere, a very rewarding journey.

Joe Grint