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The album begins with “Something Good” and it becomes immediately apparent that Katie has a very gentle, attractive and floral vocal style. Her guitar playing and arrangements complement her voice and the use of double tracking instead of harmonizing adds to the style. The second song “Bare Feet” begins with a gently picked guitar. The range of tones in the guitar has been expertly recorded and even when the percussion comes in the gentle balance of instruments is not compromised. The girl next-door quality in the voice is a real breath of fresh air in all the complex and over-produced music around today. It is the earthy and honest homegrown element to this song that has such an incredible appeal. The third song “These Nights” is Arienette stripped right back to just acoustic guitar and vocal. “Little Bird” brings the band back together with a very catchy and emotive number. The metaphor is used to great effect set against varying feelings that have a gentle ebb and flow throughout the song and with the sweet melody Katie has a chance to show off her vocal prowess and dexterity. By the time that we reach “Last Call” we’re starting to look at the loss of love and Arienette effectively captures those difficult feelings. There is passion here, tears and a melancholy that is exceptionally poignant. “Have we been lost” is beautiful in its simple textures and muted colours. This is a snowscape backdrop with a breathy and heartfelt lament and for anyone who has ever loved and lost – the connection is instantaneous. The final track (the title track) is for me the pinnacle of this work. Delicate piano and guitar lines interlock to weave this superbly atmospheric piece with Arienette laid bare and hurting. The pain she feels is expertly portrayed through both music and lyrics and with the addition of the other instruments, the song builds up to a crescendo with Arienette desperate for her heart to heal. Whilst Katie’s voice has a distinctive sound, delicately textured and feminine, there is little change in her vocals. It would be nice to hear a touch of variety in her tone here and there and this would improve on an already well-crafted and experienced voice. I did notice one or two pitching problems, most noticeably in “Ready or Not” and there were points where the instruments were slightly out of time, this seems to be where sequenced sounds don’t quite fit with the more organic pianos and guitars. Overall this is a very impressive second album from Arienette and amply demonstrates her superb songwriting abilities. Despite the minor flaws, we are treated to an excellent collection of earthy and accessible music, which instantly connects and communicates to the listener. If you’re looking for music that grows on you, if you’re looking for music that is multi-dimensional yet not over-crowded, if you enjoy songs that have a continual appeal, they are all here on this excellent CD. This is one artist I will be keeping a close eye on in the future – and you should too!!
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