Scotland has always punched above its weight in terms of producing great music, and to that rich legacy can be added Rachel Sermanni. Sermanni has been releasing albums for over a decade and this could be her most fully realised yet. The wonderfully sympathetic accompaniment of discreet drums, double bass and piano, as well as guitar, frame these personal songs of love, loss and womanhood.
In her Spotify profile Sermanni refers to her music as ‘dreamy indie-folk pop’ and I guess that’s a fair assessment, although on repeat listening I find this album less generic-sounding than that may imply. Unafraid to start songs acappella, her voice has a distinctive character and a way of conveying truths convincingly. Recent single ‘Jacob’ is a melodic standout, but all 11 tracks are worthy of your attention. The excellent title track kicks off the album and starts with a spoken “Everybody OK?”, with an affirmative from her studio compatriots, suggesting a one-take approach to this and maybe the rest of the album. Certainly, there is a live feel to these tracks and perhaps some improvisation in some of the smoky arrangements.
Sermanni’s music is a Caledonian take on that rich seam of American singer/songwriters and while there were echoes of favourites of mine such as Devon Sproule, this album occupies its own distinctive space.
