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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
The daughter of acclaimed British folk artists Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson, Eliza Carthy has long been one of the major protagonists in the UK neo-folk renaissance. A dedicated and passionate artist, Carthy is also highly eclectic, as evinced on previous albums such as Red Rice, which blended drum & bass with folk fiddle amongst other unusual but largely successful experiments. Dreams Of Breathing Underwater is Carthy's seventh solo record and is predictably unpredictable. Opening with the 12-bar blues "Follow The Dollar", the album shapeshifts through the ethereal "Hug You Like A Mountain" and "Lavenders", the meandering "Rosalie", the funereal "Two Tears" and the captivating "Mr Magnifico" - right up to the dramatic, swinging denouement "Oranges And Seasalt". Carthy’s vocals are as mercurial as her arrangements as she switches from angelic to angry, poignant to potent. There's never a dull moment as the songs flit insouciantly between Latin and reggae, electronica and blues, further underlining Carthy's skill as a songwriter and her imagination as an artiste.
Review
It's hard to believe now, with the sheer volume of new acoustic heroes banging on about the virtues of folk, that there was a time when the whole genre was viewed as a musty old bag of bearded fustiness. One of the main reasons it's managed to shed such negative connotations is the hard work and constant invention of Eliza Carthy. There may be a plethora of folk evangelists now, but a few short years back, it felt like Eliza was about all we had to push things forward and out into the mainstream.
And push she has. Amongst her back catalogue, there's the double album Red Rice, where drum and bass meets folk fiddle, and Rough Music: a very modern exploration of the traditional country music of England. She is, it has to be said, never predictable.
Even so, that Dreams Of Breathing Underwater opens with a blues guitar, rather than her brilliant violin, comes as something of a shock, and it's not the only one to be found on the album, her seventh solo collection.
Dreams of Breathing Underwater is penned almost entirely by Eliza and writing partner Ben Ivitsky. Only the downbeat ghostliness of Hug You Like A Mountain comes from another hand: Rory MacLeod. It's an album which, even by Carthy's own standards, is pretty random, in the best way possible.
From the ethereal wonder of Lavenders, through the swelling, swaying meander of Rosalie, the squeeze-box comedic heartbreak of Little Bigman and the thrilling finale of Oranges And Seasalt, which is easily the best and most honest drinking song written for many a year, the majority of the experimentation works. Though the aforementioned opening blues number Follow The Dollar, feels increasingly dull as the rest of the album unfolds behind it.
The fact that it works is partly due to the musicianship on offer - there are turns for rambunctious folk duo, Spiers and Boden, Edinburgh rock 'n' rollers, Mystery Juice, and Scottish songstress, Eddi Reader, amongst others - and is partly down to the thoughtful songwriting, which never overfills the songs, allowing them to breathe and flourish. It can also be put down to Eliza's magnificent voice, the depth and richness of which can now comfortably sit next to her mother, Norma Waterson's, as one of the finest you will ever hear.
Dreams Of Breathing Underwater is a brilliant album that deserves applause as much for its occasional failures as it does for its multiple successes, as indeed does Eliza Carthy herself. Never one to rest on her laurels, this album shows just why she is one of music's, and not just folk's, most important and innovative artists. --Chris Long
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Different, Varied and Great Fun,
By
This review is from: Dreams of Breathing Underwater (Audio CD)
Having thoroughly enjoyed her more traditional previous album Rough Music, and following the recent Channel 5 documentary on Eliza, I had expected something in a similar vein. However, this is very different. It follows in the trail of her previous self-written album (the underrated Angels & Cigarettes) and infuses her folk leanings with an unexpected variety of instruments and styles. What comes through on every song is the strength of the song writing, the vividly drawn characters and the wonderful narratives. All delivered in Eliza's beautiful and expressive singing style. It's an album that rewards repeated listens and leaves you feeling uplifted on every occasion. Incidentally, if you ever get the chance to see Eliza live, don't miss out as it's a wonderful evening in the company of a very talented and engaging person.
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hmm...this is great "????" music,
By
This review is from: Dreams of Breathing Underwater (Audio CD)
What should I put for the "????" bit. Not sure is matters, but it isn't pure folk music,(whatever that is). I won't dissect tracks here as there is so much variety. Instead I will state why it ticks boxes for me. Great music should have quality whatever the genre, sometimes with invention, but certainly it should either move me or excite me. Liza's latest does all these things. She really is ploughing her own furrow these days, and with great success.Will punters like it ? As it doesn't sound like anyone else it's hard to tell. However, for past Liza fans I would say if you were happy with Red Rice, or the much maligned Angels and Cigarettes,(which I actually thought was a superb diversion), then I reckon this will work for you. In summary - one of the great albums of recent times irrespective of genre, deserving of 6 stars for imagination,(and unlike some other reinventers not losing the plot). She is a national treasure,(bet she would hate that description), who continues to surprise and delight in equal measure.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is what she's been building towards,
By Stevepupton "Stevepupton" (Wirral, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dreams of Breathing Underwater (Audio CD)
Brilliant, witty, rude, anarchic, multi-styled, multi-layered !Eliza Carthy produces a career-highlight album Styles and boundaries are blown aside in a magical display of contemporary (Hard to categorise as 'Folk') music Musicianship throughout is superb from all participants and lyrics are at once thought-provoking and amusing 'Oranges and Sea-salt' is a classic This album puts Eliza right up there with Richard Thompson as one of our national treasures !
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