She Makes War
Album: Little Battles
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 15
Website: http://www.shemakeswar.com

When I saw this album described as "gloom-pop with grungey guitars and processed beats" I was a little worried as it didn't sound as though it would be my cup of tea at all. I am pleased to say that my concerns were unfounded, this is an imaginative, atmospheric and well-crafted album by an extremely talented singer/songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist.

She Makes War is the nom de plume [or should that be nom de guerre?] of Laura Kidd. Laura is a real polymath-she wrote all the music and lyrics, played virtually all the instruments [including guitar, keyboards, violin, sax, autoharp, ukulele, melodica and doubtless many others] and did all of the art direction, design and photography.

The album is available in five different levels, from the basic CD [level 1] to a multi-media "art bundle" and skype performance [level 5] which includes a 30 minute skype chat/performance from Laura where the purchaser can request which songs they want to hear - a novel idea !

"Little Battles" begins with "Intro" [not surprisingly], which is a delicate guitar instrumental complete with ambient background sounds. The melody wouldn't sound out of place on "Tubular Bells". The atmosphere quickly changes with "Minefields" a powerful number which mixes rock guitar with sampled beats. Equally powerful is "Exit Strategy" which sounds like a collision between 70's punk and 80's electro pop and is all the better for it.

The mood changes completely with "Butterflies" which is a dreamy pop confection complete with heavenly vocals, harp and strings. A total change of direction from the previous two tracks which demonstrates the range of Laura's talents. The following "Magpie Heart" is another powerful song, with abrupt changes of tempo and mood.

One of the most innovative tracks is "Delete" which is almost entirely accapella, with layer upon layer of looped and sampled vocals .The overall effect is to create an atmosphere of isolation and alienation.

The next track "May Our Daughters Return Home" has a real feeling of menace about it. I gather that it is about the lost girls of Mexico and it really is chilling, with lines like "In this city of dead women breezes blow subdued, people run from the night stalker, hiding sordid truth ". Heavy stuff, indeed!

"In This Boat" is a slow, atmospheric number which has an air of melancholy about it, "Don't Wake Up, Don't Cry Out " is the plaintiff chorus. As earlier, the mood changes abruptly with the next track "Blue", which is a delicate, airy, acoustic song with layered harmony vocals.

Each of the fifteen tracks on this album has its own individual character and atmosphere and each listen brings something new. Whilst Laura / She Makes War employs many different styles and sounds, the overall effect is of a cohesive whole, you really need to listen to the album from beginning to end to get the full effect. She is clearly an extremely gifted artist and if you are tired of the current crop of female pop divas, you would be well-advised to give this album a listen because it is bursting with fresh ideas.

Peter Cowley