Album Review: Ruth Eliza - While the Light Shines

 

The initial impact is of an Appalachian sound gently rolling along, followed by the subtle blending of homegrown themes. The music of Ruth Eliza epitomises the Anglo-American roots spirit. The clawhammer banjo sparks an imagination bouncing around cloud laden mountains, yet when the English vocals and lyrical relevance kick in, it is the dales and rugged greenery of rural Britain taking over. WHILE THE LIGHT SHINES captures a moment of serenity and idyllically depicts what acoustic music can evoke. 

The banjo skills of Lancaster-based Eliza purvey the definitive sound of this thirteen track debut album accompanied by an expertly deployed array of instrumentation led by fiddle, garnished by mandolin and held together by double bass. Ten songs and three instrumentals form a packed content with the writing piquing an interest in what is expressed.

Lots of tags can be applied - bluegrass, roots, old time, folk, Americana - all pertaining some descriptive purpose. The musicians diligently enact their roles and the production enables credibility. The path is smoothed for the listener to enjoy the simple earthy vibes.

The title track opens the album with ‘While the Light Shines’ proving one of the catchier songs as the chorus repetition beds in. A theme of emerging positivity from darker times is detected in the lyrics. A similar sound heralds ‘Voices’ which once again pitches hope among despair. The repeated finale of ‘listen to her own voice’ suggests others of disrepute have been banished. In a change of direction ‘Falling In’ takes us over to Sweden, Soderasen to be precise, and this time featuring more prominent fiddle and mandolin. All sweet sounds. ‘Buried Springs’ is the first of three instrumentals to feature. ‘The Light Came Back’ and ‘Sunflowers at Night’ are the others strategically placed with the latter the closing track. All contribute to the ambient nature.

‘Missing Out’ ups the tempo while retaining the generic feel. Eliza’s vocal clarity exposes meaningful lyrics, though a degree of listener thought aids the experience. ‘Where We Were Last Night’ is a slower offering and appears a homely song with a layer of extra vocals. One of the most interesting lyrical pieces is the emotion expressed in ‘Leaving’ as the writer decides an old Midlands mining town can no longer resist itchy feet and a desire to plough an independent route elsewhere. Images in the lyrical booklet suggest Sweden is once again the influence for ‘World Uneven’, one of the album’s slower reflective moments. 

The most interesting song title is ‘Crook O’ Lune’, which can be deduced to a place located in Caton Lancashire, close to Eliza’s Lancaster home. Folk albums are useful for expanding your knowledge and this is the album at its folkiest. ’Lauren’ is another explicit title and you can piece together the story of this character, fiction or real. Obviously relevant to the writer but be open to interpretation by the listener. ‘Dear Seed’ brings the vocal part of the album to an end and likely a metaphor for a ray of optimism filtering through the writing. 

Future development could curate a killer track lavishly adorned with melodies lifting it above competing noise in a busy modern music environment. For now WHILE THE LIGHT SHINES flourishes when space is afforded. Ruth Eliza demonstrates the wherewithal to create a record right on the pulse of what a dedicated audience wants. The music is now out to support any intended drive to further a career.