The sixth album from singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes falls into the “grower” category. It is not an album that clamours for attention but through a combination of cunningly low-key instrumentation and storytelling weaves its spell. Having relocated from London to Baltimore, West Cork and taken up residence in the holiday home of her husband’s family, Hayes found herself drawn into late night songwriting sessions on piano in its music room and ‘Blind Faith’ has that sense of nighttime murmurs and intimate thoughts.
The album begins with ‘Eye to Eye’ setting that quiet mood, its gently strummed guitar, eerie synth and rich cello, together with backing vocals from Lisa Hannigan creates some uneasy listening in which the characters are “both a little bit broken”. ‘Central Hotel’ is full of tiny delights from its opening observation that “your lips taste of cherry cough syrup”. The song is set somewhere outside of Manchester, references its industrial landscape and involves a race across town for a live performance as they “sing our little hearts out”. The synths gradually gain prominence to create a grainy but emotive mood.
The latest single and one of the album’s highlights, ‘Another Love’ sees Hayes duetting with Paul Noonan in a tale of two people leaning on each other for support in a time of mutual grief, the revelation that neither loves the other bringing them closer together. From its opening guitar picking, through the addition of piano and cello to the “you are only a reminder” chorus, the song becomes increasingly resonant.
‘Hardwired’ is one of the album’s more abrasive tracks moving from its roughly strummed beginnings, opening out with its insistent and strong synth squiggle melody. It surveys the post-Covid landscape and dominance of social media feeding polarised opinions and mourns the absence of nuance. ‘Feed the Flames’ has a more expansive musical feel and features Hannigan, who co-wrote the song, on backing vocals. The song was inspired by Hayes watching ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’, a film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, the actors’ biographies provoking a reflection on how people can love each other deeply yet their human fallibility gets in the way.
‘High & Low’ revisits the theme of grief, feelings of disconnection and the desperate desire to feel a link. Hayes’ vocals are more upfront and exposed revealing “their lips are moving but words bent out of shape.” There is a sense of ambivalence to ‘The Break Didn’t Heal Right’ with its narrator thinking she is “only half here” and chorus of “could I be happier now / I don’t think so”, the song eventually exploding into guitar playing that feels furious compared to the rest of ‘Blind Faith’.
The hushed mood returns for ‘Can’t Kill A Hunger’ with its “heaven is better than the devil you know” refrain. In its campfire strum and use of pipes, it strays onto Irish folk ballad territory. Closing track ‘Return of the Daughters’ sees her voice buried further in the mix as droning guitar, chimes, violin and piano create a compelling brew.
This is an album that rewards patience. Give it a few listens and its charms will be revealed. While Hayes’ Mercury Prize nomination for her 2002 debut ‘Night on my Side’ was an early career highlight, ‘Blind Faith’ shows her knack for introspective yet richly constructed songwriting remains undiminished.
Gemma Hayes: Blind Faith – Out 27th September 2024 (Townsend Music)
| GEMMA HAYES (official video) (youtube.com)
I was editor of the long-running fanzine, Plane Truth, and have subsequently written for a number of publications. While the zine was known for championing the most angular independent sounds, performing in recent years with a community samba percussion band helped to broaden my tastes so that in 2021 I am far more likely to be celebrating an eclectic mix of sounds and enthusing about Made Kuti, Anthony Joseph, Little Simz and the Soul Jazz Cuban compilations as well as Pom Poko and Richard Dawson.
