By Christof Dugarry
Gemma Hayes follows on from “The Hollow of Morning,” with a similar “Let it Break”
I always get concerned about artists that have their face on their album cover. I always think of the fickle side of all of us and the temptation to make assumptions based on your idea of what they look like. If this was the case, all of us may have thrown the likes of Ryan Adams ‘Gold’ to one side. Thankfully this is a route kindly more popular in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s than today (with the exception of Rap and R’N’B). However our own Gemma Hayes tends to use it quite a bit and I as I listened to this album I was pondering whether this is indulgence on her part, showcase her obvious beauty, or if it was merely a lack of attention to album artwork. But the album cover embodies its contents; it is beautiful (in parts) and light.
Many people get upset by artist’s later installments. It’s easily done, we build a long standing relationship with early material and this new relationship is judged so quickly. It’s the exact same dynamic as a group of friends, we all know each other so well and if we have a new group member, of which some of us want and others prefer to insulate themselves with what they know. We scrutinize, we evaluate every spoken word and we are either receptive to their inclusion or deny clinging on to the affiliation you all once shared without it.
‘Let it Break’ is more of the same as far as Gemma Hayes is concerned. I remember the out-pour of disappointment in my own close circle when ‘The Hollow of Morning’ was released. I personally thought it was one of her best, if not best, collection of songs to date. ‘Let it Break’ is not as good in my eyes, but then again I held the previous in much higher esteem than how others rated the album. Lyrically the album is as strong as ever as lines such as “let’s not read all the signs, because there’s a lot to be said for living a lie” and “you need the darkness if you want to see stars.” The album is littered with emotional statements just as this, proving that what some will see as beige and indifferent, others will see as insightful and accessible. All lyrics suggest the almost peripeteia of a failing relationship (indeed the album’s name ‘Let it Break’ supports this) and the tone of the album is that of accepting such a circumstance. Musically, Hayes has shown a very credit worthy progression in the use and proficiency of electronic undertones in certain tracks such as ‘Ruin.’ Again this is not done in a brash or explosive manner, but resting on the controlled essence of her overall sound.
The album starts with the atmospheric “Don’t let them cut your hair” which sensuality would seem better suited to a closing track, but somehow sets the tone beautifully for the rest of the album. “Sorrow be gone” has a sound reminiscent of a old Irish hymn given the fragility and softness of the voice and its backdrop, yet oddly breaks into a more befitting tribal prayer if guitar strings were replaced by a djembe drum. However overall standout tracks will undoubtedly be that of ‘Shock To My System’ and ‘To Be Beside You.’ These tracks embody everything that we have grown to love about Gemma, a perfectly vivid voice complemented with music so befitting that it must have taken months and months to perfect, yet organic enough to sound uncontrived.
An album of 2011, it remains to be seen how it will stand among its peers, but an extremely worthy addition to the Hayes family and better than others she has released. Not many Irish artists can equal that.