Theatrical on the shell, intricate at the core, Ms Feeney's songs don't shout, they tease, ponder, reminisce, philosophise and invent parables.
Album Cover 'Clocks'
From the very first seconds of the record, with Dear John, Julie deploys her individualistic voice to a soothing backing track. It’s hard not to sit up and take notice of this deep and brooding vocal. Once you have listened to the vocal once you listen to the world of aural pleasures that exist behind the voice.
Cold Water is riddled with delicate harps and flawless vocals whereas Julie has a brooding overlay of violins and a slow heartbeat of drums. Everything that surrounds the words and the vocals comes together like an unorthodox symphony – it shouldn’t work but it does.
Just A Few Hours is simply magnificent, ethereal and moody. The song builds, dives and changes throughout with lyrics such as ‘Just a few hours in my heart before it’s shaking, I can tell you that I love you or I‘ll break it,’ song writing talent that is dripping with raw emotion and passion.
Galway Boy has a slightly different rhythm; it reminds me of something that Imogen Heap would produce. With its harmonies and baseline it stands alone as a fascinating piece of music.
If I Lose You Tonight is like an old Irish folk sound, the arrangement is simple and the vocals are pleasing. It’s nice to hear a more stripped back example of what Feeney evokes so naturally.The natural talent of poetic lyrics and powerful eccentric vocals is clear on this particular track.
Moment changes the direction of the album; it has a contemporary feel to it rather than the classical feel that the other tracks portray. My favourite lyric in this song was ‘Will you eat humble pie and turn a blind eye/ now the elephant's in the room/ Fairy tale is askew.’
Every Inch A Woman stands out as a theatrical track, it’s context is different from the others on the album. The music is almost medieval, with a buoyant melody of pipes, keys and bass.
Worry is the only song on the album that feels misplaced, maybe it would be perfect for another album but I feel like it changed the natural flow of this album.
Happy Ever After is another stripped back performance, the calming vocals and gentle melody is musical perfection. The album closer Imperfect Love is the hidden gem on the album, a perfect song to close a fantastic album. A simple backing track accompanies the clear and crisp vocals.
The New York Times comment on the album by saying 'Theatrical on the shell, intricate at the core, Ms Feeney's songs don't shout, they tease, ponder, reminisce, philosophise and invent parables.'
Clocks, is an outstanding album from an Irish musical gem. I’m always looking for soothing, ambient music to listen to when I write or I when I want to relax and I think I have found the perfect album.
Clocks may not excite the ears in the same way that an upbeat rock would but it definitely hits the mark if what you want to listen to is beautiful, flawless arrangements with elegant lyrics and immaculate vocals.
The album is available in the UK on the 12th of August 2013.
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