Album Review: Susannah Clegg - Good Times Are Coming Our Way
A couple of bars into Susannah Clegg’s full length debut record and you know you are in capable hands. All emotions, influences and callings come to the fore in a deft display of interpretative excellence. GOOD TIMES ARE COMING OUR WAY unequivocally plants one foot in a timeless arena pouring songs from the canyons of heart and soul wrapped in a voice plucked from a dusty barroom. In a true sense of tradition, the band play the supporting role to a tee, just enough to add substance and structure to the songs, while allowing vocals that ache with intent to prosper. Living proof that Lancashire lies on the fault line of heartache and misery etched in a fully stocked story song,
The ten tracks forming this long awaited release merge into a montage of illustrated characters and feelings. A simple combo of definitive fiddle, binding double bass and constructive guitar frames the musical landscape easing off for Clegg’s voice to release its purposeful endeavour. A voice that has form to turn unsuspecting heads. Her writing is sharp, and an inkling to engage a sweet tune lubricates the path from creative artisan to paid up partisan.
Planting a near-perfect song in ‘Forgetmenot’ at the heart of the record is a masterstroke, showcasing all the album’s assets in a memorable 4 minutes. Either side, multiple peaks pile up the impact exhibited by the enticing ‘Caroline’ spilling over with mesmeric guile. From character to place, ‘Colorado’ tones things down a touch as you move in mind if not necessarily body. Earlier in the album, title track ‘Good Times Are Coming Our Way’ exudes the narrative of a doomed miner, while later in the running order a sense of urgency flows out of ‘Last to Know Blues’. Here expert production pairs an animated voice with nifty guitar work and vibrant fiddle to deliver a track that buzzes along.
All impactful albums cultivate effective openers and closers to hail a talent and depart leaving a sense of hunger. The intoxicating tone to ‘Prospect Street’ is a clever hook to win over curious ears before a desire for more adorns the archetypal finishing piece ‘Let in the Night’. Doubling up on character titles, ‘Tess’ is a track drawing you to what the writer wants to convey. In the opening stages of the record, the jaunty ‘Put Me In My Grave’ oozes with era synergy transporting you back to a time where good times rolled and more than a touch of the hard stuff flowed. An open invitation to sway in time is offered in ‘Sweet Roses’ a cute bout of short driven momentum in touch with the mood of a record fluctuating within a lofty model.
Show don’t tell perspectives put a real honest stamp on music removing any resemblance of pseudo motives. Susannah Clegg says it all through a striking voice, enlisting smart musicianship and putting the beauty of a song on a pedestal. GOOD TIMES ARE COMING OUR WAY lays a special template in how to recreate the sincere song. A wondrous unveiling of an innate talent putting small town vibes on a big map.
