BYE BYE is the debut full length solo release from English
singer-songwriter Sophia Marshall and unwraps as a highly desirable record. Its
stylish façade and steely interior presents an artist with an acute ear to
formulating a sound successful in alerting many a discerning listener. The
album refuses to adopt a static stance, with its half hour duration keeping
folks on alert to which way the music is going to turn. Sophia does a good job
in keeping the sound and vocals internationally neutral thus you never really grasp
whether it’s majoring on her English roots or the obvious Americana
pretensions. This trait helps create a door-opening niche.
Sophia first crossed my path when she played an invited set
at this year’s Maverick festival as part of the AMA UK Friday evening showcase.
On that occasion, it was her previous material as a member of the Have Nots
that made the most initial impact. This is probably due to any new songs not
featuring a killer instant hook, which is confirmed by listening intensely to
the nine tracks forming this album. However, this should not detract listeners
from grasping the overriding vibes of the music and mining deep into Sophia’s
classy style.
All nine tracks possess original status with all but one being
solo written. Lead single ‘Losing You’
is the exception with Sophia teaming up with band partner Liam Dullaghan.
Checking out this track via its posted video is a good taster to the album,
although it resides more on the conventional side rather than those where
Sophia edges into experimental territory. ‘Catch
Me’ is the song that arouses the listener’s curiosity with a crackly and scratchy
vocal presence projected by some enhanced amplification for the final part. Largely,
the beautiful vocal range of Sophia is one of the album’s redeeming features, hitting
the high notes with effect. This gives the album a folk-tinge akin to some of the
iconic female voices who have soared to the heights of the genre on both sides
of the Atlantic.
Remaining with the folk tendencies for a moment, an original
acapella sea shanty brings the album to an unexpected close. ‘Drunken Sailor’ possesses all the aura
of a gospel-blues piece and seals the diversity to a tee. This is in stark
contrast to the jaunty opener ‘Bye Bye’
with its pop-infused beat and jangly guitars. There is an uncanny resemblance to
Frazey Ford in the vocals and this falls into place when reading more about
Sophia’s background including a support slot for the Be Good Tanyas. This track
could quite easily have been the chosen song to promote the album.
Following the album’s fairly upbeat start, we soon head into
passive haunting territory with ‘Sarah’s
Room’ and the sensitive ‘Flares’.
By the time we get to ‘Beauty Sleep’,
the tender style has been cracked and any thoughts about the opening two lively
numbers defining the album have been trashed. Perhaps this is why the album
hangs around long enough to garner sufficient listens to grasp its worth. ‘Hey Al, Woah!’ is another interesting
track in the penultimate running order position and its alternative edge adds
value. ‘Missing Piece’ is a slightly
more upbeat offering and its central positioning gives the album a degree of
balance. This is assuming a listener doesn’t cherry pick from a digital
standpoint. Personally, it is felt that the album doesn’t court this approach
and thirty minutes is hardly an exhaustive listening time.
BYE BYE is an assured body of work and acts as a card marker
for folks aiming high with their music selection. Sophia Marshall, as a solo
performer, is a welcome addition to the UK music scene and reaches out to many
quarters from the cultured outer edge of pop to the hardened core of electric
roots.
www.sophiamarshall.co.uk