Gemma Hayes, Night On My Side (Source) 9+
Gemma Hayes is an inspiration to teenage girls who cringe at the prospect of finding inspiration in successful pop stars like Britney Spears. As a teenage My Bloody Valentine fan in Tipperary, Ireland, Hayes started playing her sister's acoustic guitar. With a few years, little taste, a lot of talent and even more luck, she found herself signed to the French Source label based on a demo she made with no accompanying information. On the strength of the 4:35 AM EP, Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse), Mark Eitzel and David Gray fawned over her and invited her on their tours. Wisely choosing Flaming Lips/Mercury Rev/Ed Harcourt producer-shaman Dave Fridmann to assist with her debut, Hayes has kicked off a very promising career at the tender age of 23. Night On My Side reveals her precocious songwriting talent and surprisingly mature voice, with a distinctly country-Americana lilt. Her pretty voice is almost too mannered and polished -- it could easily blend into an MOR format. But thankfully she avoids the pitfalls of cloying cuteness and annoying histrionics, modulating her voice like a pro while injecting the music with the necessary amount of indie-rock adrenaline. "Day One" is a short, shambolic starter that recalls the rustic forlornness of Sparklehorse. With guitar riffs that drive and sparkle, "Hanging Around" could have been an early 90s Blake Babies tune, while on "Back Of My Hand" a New Order bassline sets the tone for a mood piece of profuse aching and longing. "Over Over" continues the doomed romance theme with more heartfelt earnestness and a caressing string section. Maria McKee might have pulled off something this affecting had she not disappeared. Moving on to regret, "Let A Good Thing Go" shows that Hayes not only studied My Bloody Valentine, but also the underrated heart-squishing capacity of J. Mascis' mournful guitar solos in Dinosaur Jr. "Ran For Miles" and "What A Day" gently segue to a respite of uplifting tranquility before descending back into the maelstrom, peaking in massive layers of distorted guitars, squeaks and squeals in "Lucky One (Bird Of Casadaga)." "My God" might be her strongest song, a spare, brittle study of world-weariness that is utterly, succinctly moving, and will no doubt someday inspire many covers. Night On My Side ends with its title track, a melancholy country-tinged lullaby. With a handful of songs that measure up to the mature work of Joni Mitchell and Lucinda Williams, Gemma Hayes should have a brilliant career to look forward to.
