Tallulah Rendall - The Banshee and the Moon (2014)

Tallulah Rendall’s creativity explodes in ‘The Banshee and the Moon'. The forty-five minute CD is accompanied by a hard cover book of lyrics, black and white photographs and a detailed explanation of how the bright new project got funded and how the sensitive themes came to fruition.

The project was recorded on Osea Island with producer Danton Supple at the helm. Also on board were photographers Serena Bolton, Akio, Paris Acrkill, Ben Heron and Jamie Croft. The album follows on from ‘Libellus’ (2009) and ‘Alive’ (2011).

Yet, even if the British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist chose not to explain a word, her visions and machinations would come through loudly and clearly. ‘Run Let the River Run’ sets off the chase. Her breathy vocals here are subsumed by chilling bass and free-spirited percussion. Those vocals grow bluesier as singular notes from – perhaps a child’s piano? – underscore the inherent hopefulness. Finally a rollicking bass glides against her now steady whisper.

In ‘Canary’ that voice oozes up and down the scale curiously. Clanking beats and burning bass give way to a hypnotic recap. The touching metaphors astound.

‘Pieces’ goes electric. “A howling cry” is particularly passionate. That voice sounds super-charged enveloped by big, booming sonics. ‘She Rises Up’ finds Tallulah waxing poetic about “tendrils of her hair” and “boundless beauty.” Angelic harmonies drift alongside her musings about the tidal seas.

The piano-drive ‘Shine On’ is soulful, stark and simple yet it conveys an everlasting message with its bold finger-snapping conviction. The pedestrian ‘Go My Way’ is blindsided by the creeping bass of ‘Hear Me Now’. It frames her rendering with a palpable sheen. The dynamics are superb. She explains that “broken things got mended” whilst having the time of her life.

‘The Banshee’ is lively and picturesque. The creature “stopped and tip-toed to the sky.” The sense of abandonment really hits the sonic spot. ‘Land Away’ hits us up in all directions, is strikingly evocative and crowned with blistering guitar. Piano-driven ‘Trust in Me’ is cherubic and healing. “What’s easy for you is hard enough for me,” she confides. The prescription she advocates here is patience. The pop harmonies of ‘Eyes’ trigger multiple images. “There’s a beauty in the dark” and “silver lining reveals haze.” Refreshingly a capella and concise. In the closer, ‘Lost in the Moonlight,’ Tallulah melts our hearts. Her vocals on the verse are echoed note by note by her fluid bass and, finally, all elements eclipse.

This album has many refreshing moments – Tallulah’s vocals are fresh, sonorant and diverse. The instrumentals never interfere with her impulses. As a unit, the themes are thought provoking and provide a sensorial escape from the doldrums of everyday existence. Isn’t that what excellent art should always be about?