Isobel Heyworth Review

Isobel Heyworth "Close your eyes"

(Available through http://www.isobelheyworth.com)

I think my good buddy Conor at Angry Left Wing Mofo perfectly summed Isobel Heyworth’s last CD "On the Back of an envelope as "Look it’s good, buy it"

As far as I am aware Conor hasn’t heard the new CD yet, but I would be interested in reading his options as this as it is a very different album for Isobel indeed.

On her first album "On the back of a envelope", this was mostly just Isobel backed by her acoustic guitar which was perhaps simplist but carried so much charm, it has been listened to be believed how bloody good it actually was.

This was a young lady who for example, I first discovered playing in a little acoustic type festival at one of Manchester’s crappist venues "The Roadhouse" which usually owning to the fact that most people who go there are ignorant sods completely drowns out the noise of the more acoustic based artists and Isobel’s perhaps slightly Nick Drake based singer songwriting almost completely shut them up in one song.

Impressive indeed.

On this second album however in contrast to that night at the Roadhouse and also her first album, which was just her by herself, this album showcases for about half of the album additional backing from a piano, double bass and drums.

Normally, when you heard artists try and do things like this, it can either sink or swim the artist, to Isobel’s credit, they add rather than take away in particular on tracks like "God only Knows" or "Just for you" – both of which were originally released on "Back off.." but here sound very different and almost pop-like be it for a better word, but not brainless pop you would hear on Pop Idol.

This is pop music who like their music to be intelligent, not something that would insult their intelligent after a listen or two.

Isobel’s music is a music that although does sometimes show it’s roots through gentle throughtful pop like on the examples given above, her real strength for me is the reflective side of her music.

This is shown in equal doses on the album which for me are often deeper and often melodic and carry a deeper sense of loss including new songs like "My Best Dress", which carries an amazing couple of lines halfway through the song (which I am sure Isobel won’t mind me quoting)

"Sensations softly calling me over hill dale and out to sea /
One foot out of the door I turn to see under the arches are you calling me /
And if love don’t call me, then I’m gone and I got my best red dress on /"

This is deep song writing indeed and it makes you wonder why the hell isn’t she a huge star by now.

Highly recommended indeed.