- Audio CD (31 May 2011)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Emi Uk/Zoom
- ASIN: B0053D2AQ6
- Other Editions: Audio CD | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 115,298 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Review
Tipperary native Gemma Hayes has managed to live a charmed professional existence since her Mercury-nominated debut, 2002’s Night on My Side. A comparative big-hitter in Ireland, the rest of the world has been a little cooler to her dusky, earnest indie-pop, basically allowing her creative freedom without having to scrabble for a living or kowtow before a demanding industry. Let It Break is, then, the latest summit of that creative freedom. Basically, she could’ve recorded absolutely anything.
Admirably, Let It Break is full of intriguing ideas and well-marshalled sounds. It’s evocative when it needs to be, songs arc in the right places to snag the heartstrings, and all signs point to an accomplished fourth album. The trouble is that it’s not a huge amount more than that. It’s faintly embarrassing to be asking more from an artist that is clearly giving a lot, but there are sags and flaps where there should be monumental peaks. Things start brightly, though: the mood-piece opening of Don’t Let Them Cut Your Hair and the following There’s Only Love make perfect late-night travelling soundtracks.
Not dissimilarly, one can hear the likes of Death in Vegas in the album’s first third, and with Sorrow Be Gone Hayes sounds like a lighter version of Meredith Godreau of Gregory and the Hawk. It’s revelatory stuff and rewarding enough, but after this strong opening a curious emptiness takes over. Plainly the ingredients are assembled for something more spectacular, but by the time we’re halfway through we need to hear it expressed with more wit and invention. Breathy and morose on Brittle Winter, her vocals aren’t the match of the beautiful choral arrangement that lurks in the background. Likewise, sketches like That Sky Again serve more as palate-cleansers than statements of emotional intent.
Perhaps it’s unfair to expect more, but Gemma Hayes most definitely has the time, talent and exploratory nature to achieve it. Let It Break is a fine achievement, certainly, and only faulty due to some of the more by-numbers pieces within. It would be fulfilling to hear her really stretch herself on a fifth record but, for now, it’s enough that she can coast and still succeed with her fourth.
--Daniel Ross
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CD Description
Let it Break is the fourth studio album from Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes who rose to prominence with her 2002 debut Night on My Side. Orininally released in the Republic of Ireland in 2011, this European verson includes the additional track "Waiting for You". The album includes the singles "Shock to the System" and "Keep Running".
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Amidst a slew of vocal imitators and poorly written saccharine sweet female artists with nothing whatsoever to say Gemma hayes stands head and shoulders above the by and large mediocre crowd. At her best she is fit to rub shoulders with the likes of Aimee Mann and Shawn Colvyn to name a few of those rare female writers who actually write songs rather than pen pointless pop jingles. While her second album is still her best and most consistent effort this runs it a close second. Here we have more diversity than on any previous album save perhaps Night on my side, which while having several highlights was a little uneven. Stand out tracks are Keep Running, Shock to my system, and the best song on the album Ruin. A better effort than Hollow of the Morning and songs which deserve more airplay, and an artist who deserves more publicity. Maybe if she wore a meat dress and stuck a phone on her head people would take more notice; what a stupid world we live in.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Download
There is just something about Gemma Hayes ... her music grabs your heart. The songs on this album capture and communicate emotions on a visceral level unlike almost anyone else I can think of. By way of comparison, I bought the latest Nerina Pallot cd at the same time as this and it's very nice indeed but at no point does it make the hairs on the back of your neck or arm stand up - unlike this latest from GH.
I'm not going to go through the album track by track but I will mention certain standouts:
Keep Running - gorgeous breezy innocent(?) actually reminds me a little "Hanging Around" on her debut but without the crunching electric guitars.
Brittle Winter - incredibly atmospheric and powerful, an almost Shakespearian sense of despair and loss.
Shock To My System - if Gemma was on a major label this would be a single and being played all over the radios because it's melodicly accessible and is full of that powerful sense of wonder we all feel when we first fall in love.
There's Only Love - Oh my god! Words fail me (nearly) .... one of the things I love about Gemma is the way she incorporates quite traditional Irish folky harmonies and instrumentation into her songs but it still feels of the moment. The song is so lyrically simple but it builds from something slow and quiet to a blissed out crescendo. It captures perfectly the drug-like effect of being in love.
As always with her music is feels powerfully autobiographical and thankfully it seems like she's in a pretty good place at the moment. Just wish she would come and play in the UK a bit more!!!
I'm not going to go through the album track by track but I will mention certain standouts:
Keep Running - gorgeous breezy innocent(?) actually reminds me a little "Hanging Around" on her debut but without the crunching electric guitars.
Brittle Winter - incredibly atmospheric and powerful, an almost Shakespearian sense of despair and loss.
Shock To My System - if Gemma was on a major label this would be a single and being played all over the radios because it's melodicly accessible and is full of that powerful sense of wonder we all feel when we first fall in love.
There's Only Love - Oh my god! Words fail me (nearly) .... one of the things I love about Gemma is the way she incorporates quite traditional Irish folky harmonies and instrumentation into her songs but it still feels of the moment. The song is so lyrically simple but it builds from something slow and quiet to a blissed out crescendo. It captures perfectly the drug-like effect of being in love.
As always with her music is feels powerfully autobiographical and thankfully it seems like she's in a pretty good place at the moment. Just wish she would come and play in the UK a bit more!!!
Format:Audio CD
For me I felt her 'Night On My Side' album was my favorite because it reminds me of moments in my life at that time although I haven't listened to 'The Hollow of Morning' fully.. assuming this would be the 2nd album reviewers are referring to?
I like pretty much all the songs on this album but I would have to say 'Fire' & 'All I Need' are the ones I listen to the most! I wish Gemma Hayes was on the radio more & I wish people can one day hear/see the talent they are missing out on.
I like pretty much all the songs on this album but I would have to say 'Fire' & 'All I Need' are the ones I listen to the most! I wish Gemma Hayes was on the radio more & I wish people can one day hear/see the talent they are missing out on.
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