Being a music obsessive, I desperately contrive theories to lend consistency to my CD mania. These tend to revolve around the geographical origins of artistes. Thus, I used to claim that you couldn't go wrong with Canadian musicians (Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, k d lang, Leonard Cohen, Ron Sexsmith, etc etc.) Then someone pointed out that Bachman-Turner Overdrive were Canadian...
My latest hypothesis is that you can rely on American acts who love British music. Aimee Mann, R.E.M. and Chrissie Hynde all fit this mould. All are unimpeachable in my book. No doubt someone will soon explode this by telling me that Justin Timberlake is a Kinks fanatic. But until then I'll stick to my guns.
To shore up my case, I present exhibit number four: singer-songwriter-pianist Erin Moran. This New Jersey anglophile's credentials look good. She chose Pulp guitarist Richard Hawley to produce her first album, which she recorded in his home town of Sheffield.
Her passing resemblance to the young Nerys Hughes adds to the Brit-retro ambience. And her website cites UK influences such as My Bloody Valentine, The Blue Nile, and Prefab Sprout (she quotes from the band's song 'Appetite'
on her song 'Heartache'). Tellingly, the site also includes pictures of Paul McCartney, Michael Caine and Brian Wilson.
Those names give another clue to the source of her music: the 1960s. The artwork on this 2004 release is even 'scuffed' to make it look like a well-loved vinyl album sleeve. Her stage name and the title of this album, are a nod to to another British sixties icon - Dusty Springfield and her LP, A Girl Called Dusty.
Critics have made flattering comparisons between Erin's voice and Dusty's. But her understated delivery and lush arrangements make Springfield songs sound positively raucous. Others have remarked on similarities to Karen Carpenter and Chrissie Hynde, and those influences do surface here.
She reminds me more of introspective folky types like Kathryn Williams or Beth Orton. And - this is no slur - there's even a hint of (surprise, surprise) Cilla Black about her voice, especially on the track 'People Used To Dream About The Future'.
The general mood of the album is also more sombre than most of Dusty Springfield's output. Erin herself describes the album as "back alley and rain coming down rather than sunny uplands". And indeed, the first three tracks are all sorrowful ballads which showcase Erin's ability to handle sensitive material without resorting to sentimentality.
'Kathleen' is a tender elegy to her late mother. 'Girls Can Really Tear You Up Inside' is about a friend who discovered he had a teenage daughter whose existence he had never suspected. Both tracks marry breathy vocals to muted, subtle string arrangements which complement rather than swamp the emotional content.
By comparison, 'The Long Goodbye' thunders in, with a wall of guitars and a thumping drum beat, complete with Spectoresque backing vocals. Its subject matter - relationship break-up - maintains the generally downbeat tone. Mercifully, the piano-driven 'Life Thru The Same Lens' provides welcome respite from the mournful mood. It features an airy vocal in a higher register and even a jaunty trombone solo on the closing fade.
'Did You See The Moon Tonight' and 'Somebody Hurt You' drift by like stately Burt Bacharach laments. Both include tinkling glockenspiel, and the latter floats on a bed of shimmering strings. Her voice here is at its most yearning, her superbly judged phrasing and timing lending a real emotional punch.
After the heartbreaking regret of 'Little Bird', the album closes with 'Golden' where Richard Hawley indulges his Phil Spector fantasies in the uplifting, epic choruses, complete with a spectacular slide guitar workout.
Most of the songs draw directly on her own experience, and this shows. They're not the most oblique or sophisticated songwords you'll ever hear, but they're undoubtedly heartfelt. There are an awful lot of references to tears and crying, and she comes across as more vulnerable than the tougher likes of Aimee Mann. With maturity, her lyric writing may acquire a sharper edge.
But the words generally steer clear of lyrical cliché (although 'Little Bird', with lines like "just like that little bird / it's time for me to fly" veers perilously close). She could usefully adopt some humour and wordplay from her songwriting heroes. She'd also benefit from the more rough-and-ready approach of a producer like Nick Lowe (who has worked with Chrissie Hynde). But such weaknesses can be forgiven. After all, this is a debut album, and a very assured one at that. If subsequent outings improve on this, they'll be impressive indeed.
So if you fancy a taste of delicious melancholy wrapped in strong, bittersweet melodies; if you value a voice whose soul is evident, not stuck into the album title by marketing types, you'll enjoy A Girl Called Eddy. Catch her if you can, she's goin' back.
Track listing: 1. Tears All Over Town 2. Kathleen 3. Girls Can Really Tear You Up Inside 4. The Long Goodbye 5. Somebody Hurt You 6. People Used To Dream About The Future 7. Heartache 8. Life Thru The Same Lens 9. Did You See The Moon Tonight 10. Little Bird 11. Golden
Released on Anti Records, catalogue no 86719-2
Website: www.agirlcallededdy.com
NB: You could download the whole album for free if you take out a trial membership at eMusic.com: a two-week trial allows you 50 free MP3 downloads, after which you can cancel.
Pictures of Girl Called Eddy, A - Girl Called Eddy (A)
A girl called Nerys?
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Never heard of her, sounds like maybe my cuppa. Another fine music review (I am slowly plowing through ;-) Celine Dion and Alanis Morrisette are Canadian so there's another dent in the theory. Shame you can't delete comments by people who obviously didn't read the review (and misspell their own. meow! ;- )
blankfrank 26.02.2006 12:13
Great review, I must get this! As something of a Richard Hawley fan I had this one recommended to me.
A Girl Called Eddyis the rather unassuming name used by American-born singer-songwriter ... more
Erin Moran. On this, her debut album, she teams up with former Pulp guitarist and acclaimed solo artist Richard Hawley to produce an album of elegance and depth. Qu...
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A Girl Called Eddy is the rather unassuming name used by American-born singer-songwriter ... more
Erin Moran. On this, her debut album, she teams up with former Pulp guitarist and acclaimed solo artist Richard Hawley to produce an album of elegance and depth. Q...
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