Jessica
Rhaye – Far Gone Lullabies (Independent)
The fact that “Far Gone Lullabies” is available to
buy in multi-formats: CD, download, or on honest-to-goodness 12” black vinyl,
must surely be an indication of the confidence Jessica Rhaye has in her fourth
album. Her belief seems well placed, and various luminaries of the Canadian
indie singer-songwriter scene have surely shared her faith from the outset of
the project, as several have joined her to co-write songs and appear on the
record.
The New Brunswick native is a firm advocate of artistic
growth, and her latest collection hits a series of new heights right from the
off. Launch track “It Is All Right” is an
absolute doozy. Co-written with Royal Wood, who also contributes vocals, it’s a
first-rate adult-orientated pop song, with a warm acoustic feel-good buzz and
plentiful hooks. It’s also our first introduction to Rhaye’s voice, and it’s a
particularly rich, wholesome and thoroughly endearing voice, easy to live with
and ideally suited to her songs.
There’s a good deal more to come - “On My Mind for a While” is a charming slice of
country-flecked pop, with Bruce Bouton’s
pedal steel guitar adding emphasis to a delightful song, and on “Ice Flow” Rhaye
combines folk narrative and instrumentation with a little Pink Floyd spectacle
– it’s a dramatic combination.
Her
collaboration with Ron Sexsmith “You
Know Me Better” is the
sort of captivating roots-pop that we’ve come to expect from the acclaimed Sexsmith,
and here the pair compliment each other beautifully. On the final track “Four Strong Winds”, an epic, widescreen quality is
evoked, almost as broad as the scenery and passions Rhaye depicts. It also
comes with a massively catchy chorus that you’ll find yourself singing out loud
at inopportune moments – or maybe that’s just me…
Tony S.
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