helen lawson: crossing the bridge EP

Singer-songwriter Helen Lawson has been a regular on the London live circuit for some time, whetting our appetites with quietly confident gigs that introduced her as an emerging artist worth watching. Following a guest appearance on last year’s AntiAtlas album, Between Voices, her keenly awaited debut EP, Crossing The Bridge, is finally here…and it doesn’t disappoint.

On her website, Lawson describes how the recording of Crossing The Bridge was dogged with interruptions, floods and passing trains, so you’d be forgiven for expecting 20 minutes of audible panic and frustration. However, first track ‘Slipping’ starts things off with an acoustic-finger picked refrain that sets the blissfully chilled tone and pace for the EP. Lawson sings of “Slipping into other people’s pictures,” and it’s easy to imagine her wandering serenely through the hubbub of the city, observing the masses and gathering material for her songs. The song has a noticeably Celtic feel, with its ethereal harmonies and airy melody, which is balanced nicely by the arrival of some weighty double bass.

This is followed by ‘Silver Purse’, a melancholic story of lost opportunities and the realisation that things can change all too quickly, but it ultimately sounds hopeful and all the wiser for having learned such a hard lesson. Likewise, ‘Crossing The Bridge’, is tied up in contradictions and difficult choices, with its paradoxical refrain, “You can’t take the risk, you can’t take the alternative,” but Lawson still manages to sound stoic and self-assured.

‘Something In The Wine’ is the clear single on the EP, blending a self-effacing lyric with an immediate melodic hook. It is a subtly infectious tune without straying too far into pop territory and losing the delicate folky feel of the EP. The video for the track, currently clocking up views on YouTube, has a homemade Michel Gondry feel that complements the music perfectly.

While Helen Lawson’s voice first brings to mind Beth Orton and Liz Fraser, at times she seems to channel Tracey Thorn, Annie Lennox and even Enya into something wonderful and unique. Not prone to excessive volume, she is a singer who demands a little attention of her listeners, as do her understated songs. Fortunately, she rewards us with something pretty special for our efforts.

[Lye Green; June 30, 2008]

‘Something In The Wine’

Written by: Richard Steele

Tags: crossing the bridge EP, helen lawson

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 at 8:57 pm and is filed under albums & EPs, reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.