Search - SARAH GILLESPIE :: Glory Days

British singer-songwriter Sarah Gillespie s first two albums won her critical acclaim for mixing folk, blues and jazz with vivid lyrical imagery. Her latest album Glory Days cements her reputation, not only as a starkly original songwriter, but also as a formidable musician. Featuring eight original songs and one cover, the solo guitar tracks (Postcards to Outer Space, Oh Mary) mark her as a fiercely good guitarist and a Joni Mitchell for the new age. There is a sharp intelligence and wit at play, as she bestows her musical heritage (she is half American) of Delta blues, Cole Porter-esque wordplay and folk narrative onto visions of the modern world where church bells can be downloaded, wars watched on 24-hour news cycles and where relationships rely on the receptiveness of smart phones (Signal Failure). ...equally assured writing about the personal or the political. The Times Despite her trademark smattering of socio-politics Glory Days is Gillespie s most personal album to date. Songs alluding to grief reveal songwriter intent on transforming the pain of loss into a triumphant celebration of life. Similarly, the love songs on the album evolve from heartache my, my, your love was like/digesting dynamite to the witty quips of comical pastiche Babies and All That Shit you want some hooker in the back ground and I don t mean John Lee. Backed by a formidable band including 2010 Mercury Prize nominee Kit Downes on piano, Sarah Gillespie s Glory Days was produced by Gilad Atzmon. His production augments the backdrop of Gillespie s melodies with dreamlike Wurlitzer piano, subtle clarinets and moody accordions. All this provides Gillespie with the space to weave her poetic tales, which she delivers with an edgy tour de force that marks her out as an exceptional performer. Despite the smattering of socio politics, Glory Days is Gillespie s most personal album to date. Songs alluding to grief (Postcards to Outer Space) the night devours us and the wind sings its oblivious blues and the beatific title track that journeys through biopic snap shot images of reminisced moments, reveal a songwriter transforming the pain of loss into a triumphant celebration of life. Similarly the love songs swing from heart ache my, my your love was like digesting dynamite to the witty quips of Babies And All That Shit you want some hooker in the back ground and I don t mean John Lee. With a voice described as powerful, seductive & vulnerable, Gillespie delivers her stories with a tour de force worthy of any theatrical stage. A more raw and acoustic album that its predecessors, its innovative production places Gillespie s deft finger picking guitar at the forefront of a formidable trio featuring Mucury nominated Kit Downes on piano, Enzo Zirilli on drums and Ben Bastin on double bass.