She Makes War - Directions of Travel
10/10
This was my album of 2015 so why review it now? Originally crowdfunded, it gets a wider release through state51 Conspiracy come April. This is the third album from She Makes War, the alter ego of Laura Kidd. Aside from drums and strings, she plays almost everything on here, although there are notable cameos from Tanya Donelly and Mark Chadwick. The quality of the songs makes this so damned special. Although rooted in 90s alt and grunge, this is fresh and timeless. The lyrics are deeply personal and the music can be dark but also joyously up-lifting. In Cold Blood and first single Drown Me Out are propulsive, guitar driven alt-rock. 5,000 Miles could be Massive Attack jamming with Floodland era Sisters of Mercy. Paper Thin is gentle and ukulele led. In Turning To You bass takes centre stage over clicks, marching drum and looped vocals to compelling effect. And so it goes on. Each song has the strength and identity to stand alone but together they make an album that demands that it be listened to as a whole, in one sitting, without distraction. In an age of short attention spans and twitchy fingers hovering over the fast forward button, this is a rare and refreshing thing.
10/10
