Rachel Austin - Hello My Uglies

Self-Released

The debut album by Rachel Austin, an American born singer/songwriter now based in Belfast, is, well… not great. Thing is, it’s not that bad either. No, really, we’re not being coy. We’re being ambivalent. This is a mixed bag of tunes. It’s produced by Declan Legge of Newry-based Big Space Studios, is self-released, and sports some very attractive hand-drawn artwork.

Rachel cites the work of Bill Mallonee, Björk, Martha Wainwright and Carla Bruni as influential in the development of her sound. That, and the experience of growing up in Virginia, USA, in a neighborhood of folk singers and banjo players. The album opens with the shimmering sounds of the worshipful ‘Like A Daughter’. It is a haunting track, sung with undeniable conviction and power enough to make the heart of even the staunchest unbeliever stir with an irrational affection for the object of her adoration. Other standout tracks include the smouldering ‘Did You Notice?’, and the spacious and understated ‘Soul, Rejoice!’, which features a gospel-style choir.

There are a handful of good songs on this album, some good lyrics, some great musicianship, and some tasteful production; the quality, however, is not consistent. There is too much that just doesn’t quite cut it. One wonders whether this album has come at the right time for Rachel and whether she would benefit from the backing of a label, willing to invest in her development. She has obviously got talent, and could potentially mature into very good artist. Those criticisms aside, Rachel Austin is still a talented vocalist and clearly write good songs. She’s photogenic too. In short, she’s great for the Northern Irish music scene. Aaron Kennedy

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FOR FANS OF: BILL MALLONEE, MARTHA WAINWRIGHT, CARLA BRUNI.
DOWNLOAD: ‘LIKE A DAUGHTER’, ‘SOUL, REJOICE!’.

Issue #52 - Very Bro-some

Featuring Panama Kings, ASIWYFA, an investigation into DIY touring, details of what over 25 of the finest NI bands are up to in 2009 and much more.