- Label: 'The Laundry Label'
- Genre: 'Folk'
- Release Date: '1st June 2015'
Our Rating:
Self-recorded in a garden shed studio at her Norfolk home with just bassist James 'Hutch' Hutchinson for company, this is an album of taking stock and nest-building.
Its strength lies in the simplicity of the arrangements and the directness of the delivery.
A founding member of folk rock duo Angelou, this is Holly Lerski's fourth solo outing and her most personal work to date.
In the title track she resolves to see the summer out while looking for "pieces I have lost". The precise nature of this retreat is detailed on Homespun where she dreams of finding a hillside house, with cats in the yard, vines up the wall and an oak tree in the garden as a symbol of stability. A soul mate to share this ideal with would be the icing on the cake since this is not conceived as a place to live alone.
A hint of lovesickness prevails but , while Holly is a romantic at heart, she is also too much of a realist to be content with gooey songs of break ups and/or make ups. For instance, a tender invitation to Come Sit Down and "maybe spend the night" comes with a recognition that there's only "a chance in a million we'll begin something good".
Nevertheless, all this soul searching is weighted more towards hope than despair so there is plenty to enjoy. With definite shades of Lisa Hannigan, Oh Atoms Oh Molecules is a breezy tune which is quite literally about finding chemistry with a.n.other and Pudding Pie is every bit as sweet as the title suggests.
Holly's wish list also extends beyond the narrow confines of her world. Building You The Ark is in part probably a reference to the Song Ark she has set up inviting musicians to donate tracks, the proceeds of which go to charitable causes.
Ultimately, a down to earth approach to life's ups and downs is what wins through in the end. Moving on is preferable to looking back. As she sings philosophically on Inkblot, the short ukulele tune that opens the album, "I messed things up but nothing's broke".
While acknowledging that "there are no guarantees" in life (Happy Sad) it's easy to imagine Holly immerging from her garden shed replenished and more ready to face the world. For this is an album centred upon finding strength from within and looking for reasons to be cheerful.
