Nancy Elizabeth
Album: Dancing
Label: Leaf
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.nancyelizabeth.co.uk

I was surprised to discover that it's been four years since Nancy Elizabeth released her last album, "Wrought Iron" maybe that's because there's regularly been a track from the album on my personal listening lists when I'm listening purely for pleasure.

Whilst the spring stream fresh vocals are comfortingly familiar, Nancy Elizabeth has removed herself from the self-imposed seclusion of two and a half years of writing and recording with an album, that whilst it makes a nod to its predecessor is definitely very much its own entity.

Just because Nancy secluded herself away doesn't mean that this is an introspective album, far from it. A lot of the album comprises of rich instrumental and aural landscapes, many dramatic, a few certainly have a really joyful element to them, you can really sense the pleasure that she puts into the creative process and that really makes the album easy to relate to.

The layers, textures and rhythmic patterns combined with the dynamics of Nancy Elizabeth's voice, means that there is always something new happening, something new to find a way into your consciousness and that's before you get into the creative processes behind the lyrics.

The opening track, "The Last Battle", is almost cinematic in its delivery, you can almost imagine the content of the film to follow. Nancy understands the many different aspects of music and how they can trigger different reactions, she knows what buttons to push to get your psyche tuned in.

"Dancing" appears to have been two and a half years very well spent, I'm looking forward to Nancy getting out and about with this album. There's a lot to listen here, but it'll last you for years.

Neil King