Thea Gilmore, Avalanche (Compass Records, 2003)
Sometimes an artist can gain from a reviewer taking on too many assignments. This review is one such case. Had I reviewed this CD shortly after its arrival at my doorstep I would probably have dismissed Ms. Gilmore as yet another ordinary singer-songwriter with nothing more to offer the world than an over-sized ego.
But time went on, and there were other assignments with tighter deadlines. While I completed them, Avalanche kept playing in my office. And bit by bit it started to grow on me. After more than a month, I am hooked.
Thea Gilmore is one of the new English breed of performers, a rather young, yet mature, female performer whose interest in playing grew out of her work at school, completed at Woodworm Studios. There she met Nigel Stonier, musician, songwriter and producer, and teamed up with him both musically and personally.
Avalanche is not her first album, but in years to come it will be considered a fine example of her earlier days. It holds twelve songs, all written by the lady herself, though one of them is co-written by Mr Stonier.
I would not call Gilmore a folk singer. She is very clearly a product of the rock world, but of the line of that world which prefers real instruments, strong melody lines and lyrics that have something to say. When it comes to music, she is less than a stone's throw away from the later day Lindisfarne, which should not be a surprise, considering Stonier's connections with that group.
On Avalanche, Gilmore mixes what could be best described as up tempo pop songs with more reflective, slower songs. She is backed by a small number of very competent musicians -- with Stonier, of course, playing a multitude of instruments, as well as producing. But of the instrumentalists, Robbie McIntosh makes the biggest impression with some lovely guitar work.
There are quite a few stand out tracks here. "Juliet" is an up tempo song about a girl treading a dangerous path. "Razor Valentine" is a more jazzy track, successfully aiming at sounding like something from the 1940's (but they could have left the scratch outs, no need to pretend it is an old 78). "Heads Will Roll" is probably the most poppy song on the album, the would-be hit, if this had been an offering by someone aiming at the charts. It's two and half minutes of perfect rock. "The Cracks" closes the album, centred round Gilmore's acoustic guitar and her voice, describing a meeting of strangers.
If you like singer-songwriters, and if you like typical English music groups such as Lindisfarne, then do not hesitate. Check out Thea Gilmore, and you may find a new favourite.
