Off The Tracks

Off The Tracks
  • Blog
    • Interviews
    • Miscellany
    • Special Guests
    • Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • The Vinyl Countdown
  • Back Catalogue
  • About
    • About
    • About the banner image
    • On Song
    • Advertise
January 30, 2014 by Simon Sweetman

Amy Speace: How To Sleep In A Stormy Boat

Amy Speace How TO sleep LPAmy Speace

How To Sleep In A Stormy Boat

1-2-3-4-GO!

Amy Speace was a theatre actor – but she gave that career a break and became a singer/songwriter. How To Sleep In A Stormy Boat isn’t her first album but it is her best – so far – and hints at a strong talent, one that’s developing, maturing, one that has transcended the clichés of female singer/songwriter shtick. Here there’s sophistication to the arrangements, hints of country and folk flavours without ever committing – fully – to either. There’s something of Judy Collins to the voice, but the material deserves to sit alongside the best work from Alison Krauss and Lucinda Williams as much as it does Collins or Emmylou Harris.

In fact I was reminded of Aoife O’Donovan’s wonderful Fossils album when listening to Stormy Boat. Such commitment in both the singing and the writing – quite fearless.

Often it’s just the voice and the guitar to the fore – but this never feels like busking, like the clichés of female singer/songwriter shtick I mentioned above.

Vivid storytelling is at the heart of Speace’s songs – and there’s so much to soak up from this album, not least of all the wonderful duet with John Fullbright on The Sea & The Shore, Amy Speacesomething of a centrepiece. Fullbright bringing the gravel, a little (extra) toughness to offset the sweet charm of Speace’s voice.

There’s turmoil in the songs on this album – and then there’s a calmness to offset that, to cope with that – that’s the big clue behind the album’s title I guess; that Amy Speace has learned/is learning to cope, and that she has a way forward, a way through. Earnest songwriting and honest songwriting aren’t often actually the same thing. But here I believe her. I believe in her. I believe the songs – and I’m swept up in the performance. Her best album. Until the next album…

Posted in Blog, Reviews and tagged with Album Review, Amy Speace, How To Sleep In A Stormy Boat. RSS 2.0 feed.
« The Haxan Cloak: Excavation
Bushman’s Revenge: Thou Shalt Boogie »

Popular

  • Janna Lapidus Leblanc: Four Years In Pictures
  • The Sad Story of Bob Welch: Fleetwood Mac’s Most Undervalued Member
  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 8 – Mark Knopfler
  • John Patitucci / Vinnie Colaiuta / Bill Cunliffe: TRIO
  • Sweetman Podcast # 247: Talia Marshall
  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 11 – Lindsey Buckingham
  • Poem: “It Was Like Watching Myself Die”
  • R.I.P. Lawrence Ferlinghetti
  • Substack: “Sounds Good!”
  • Revisiting Live at Knebworth (1990)

Archives

Tags

Album Review Auckland Book Book Review Chat Compilation DJ DVD DVD Review EP Film Film Review Gig Gig Review Guest Blog Guitar Interview Jazz Jon Mcleary Live Live Gig LP Movie Music NZ Podcast Poem Record Records Simon Sweetman Soundtrack Spines Spotify Stub Stubs Sweetman Podcast The Ghost of Electricity The Spines The Vinyl Countdown Vinyl Wellington Wgtn Writing You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron [OST]

Categories

  • Back Catalogue
  • Blog
  • Interviews
  • Miscellany
  • Mixtapes
  • Playlists
  • Podcasts
  • Reviews
  • Scene Of The Day
  • Special Guests
  • The Vinyl Countdown

Off The Tracks is the home of Sweetman Podcast, a weekly interview/chat-based pod. It's also home to my reviews across film, TV, music and books and some creative writing as well.

Off The Tracks aims to provide quality reviews and essays, regular blog updates about the shows, albums, books and movies you should be experiencing.

It's a passion project. Your support will help to keep Off The Tracks online.

All content © 2021 by Off The Tracks. WordPress Themes by Graph Paper Press