Amy Speace
Land like a Bird
A new contender for Queen of Americana
From the opening verse of Drive All Night I was smitten. The song is an archetypical, ‘lovers’ living in separate towns’ scenario; but Amy Speace’s sultry, emotional voice manages to add an extra dimension that I haven’t heard since I first discovered Lucinda many years ago.
This is followed by the spellbinding title track Land Like a Bird and again Amy’s voice had me staring at the speakers – it was 4 listens later that I realised it’s actually a great song!
Apparently Amy wrote the core of the album after living in and around Manhattan for several years before moving out of town to pastures new and a quieter life. There is certainly an air of melancholy to a few songs – Half Awake and Half Asleep springs to mind; but overall the songs sound like they have been written by someone who has finally taken charge of their life and boy does she sound confident.
Battened Hatches typifies the album, as at first it sounds like a simple love song; but each listen peels away another layer and you are left close to tears as Speace fights to save her relationship.
It’s Too late to Call it a Night has a late night Jazz feel to it but Kris Donegan’s wailing lap-steel is pure Country and the song just screams 21st Century Patsy Cline!
The album ends as it begins with what should have been a generic love song but Real Love Song flirts with lo-fi and the best of country –folk as Amy duets with Kim Richey and virtually reduced me to a blubbering mess by the end.
The musicianship and production from Neilson Hubbard throughout LAND LIKE A BIRD is excellent with the guitars, organ, occasional lap steel and drums all adding to and emphasizing ‘that voice;’ creating an atmospheric album that will stay with me for a long time.
File between Lucinda, Emmylou and Joni.
#released 1st August 2012
The Rocking Magpie 