Connie Lush Band - Renaissance (2015)

Tracklist

01. Lonely Boy
02. Blame (It All On Me)
03. Don't Cry For Me
04. I Don't Say Goodbye
05. Blue Night
06. Shine a Light On Me
07. Give Me a Minute
08. Crying Won't Help You
09. Falling Down Like Rain
10. I Can't Make You Love Me



Connie Lush’s Renaissance Rules Supreme. An emotional drenched blues soaked delight equals Connie Lush’s album Renaissance. An album perfectly produced and perfect for a Christmas stocking that will be greeted with squeals of delight especially after the first, second, third play perfect start to any day of the year.

This is an album jam packed with music that connects with the listener and the band surrounding Connie’s vocals provides a backdrop of a jaw droppingly good array of tones, textures and rhythmic punctuation to the lyrics. The band that Connie has decided to hug on the album are her husband and brilliant bassist Terry Harris, completing the vibe of the rhythmic backdrop is Roy Martin’s drumming and the third of the trio is Steve Wright with his generosity of blues guitar shaping every track. The album has been produced by Steve Wright who has mixed the cocktail of sounds into a perfectly formed album with the help of Wayne Proctor at his House Of Tone Productions.

Renaissance is the result of Connie taking a break and rethinking her musical direction. The break was inspiring as the album is a re-birth and revitalizing of style and content. Opening with a emotive A Capella holler Lonely Boy Connie “There is a lonely boy waiting – waiting for a train” .. then the guitar picks up the mood to accompany Connie’s vocals full of pathos and the music sparse as the tale unfolds the sound grows, what an expressive opener as her vocals fade away in the distance. For me I was hooked and then the next track captures the power of the sun appearing from behind the clouds; Blame (it All On Me) this is a strapping track, with the band flexing their depth of tone and power with the vocals shining above them. Third track in and not a weak note the guitar rules on the next two offerings, Don’t Cry For Me, as the tempo slows and Don’t Say Goodbye. The power of the guitar licks and the way Connie’s vocals curl around the string she doesn’t say goodbye. Relationships and the interaction between lovers are explored throughout the album via the interplay between the instrumentalists and the power of Connie’s voice. The lyrics flesh out the musical narrative with strong words that Connie punctuates with her delivery. The second half of the album has some buried treasures as well, including a funky bass-drenched opening to Give Me A minute; this is a track that zings and we can all relate to the line “Not how we planned it!”. This is then followed by a ballad of the blues Crying Won’t Help You, her voice is pitch perfect and is golden in tonal quality as she sings “It’s not the end just goodbye.”.The only cover is a flawless rendition of Bonnie Raitt’s I Can’t Make You Love Me bringing the album to a close leaving you with the only sensible option – listen to it again.

It is no wonder that the IBBA have chosen Connie Lush’s Renaissance as one of the picks for the month of December, and deserves every minute of airplay. Connie has always delivered a song with commitment and style this album takes another step up the ladder it is the glittering star at the top of the tree of blues music.

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