Gemma Hayes - Blind Faith

by Dave Goodwin

published: 17 / 4 / 2025

Label: Gemma Hayes Music
Format: CD

Breathtaking sixth album from Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes

Review

Over the last year Gemma Hayes has released a number of singles to the masses, namely, ‘Feed the Flames’, ‘Hardwired’, ‘High and Low’ and ‘Another Love’, and which has culminated in this breathtaking sixth studio album, ‘Blind Faith’. This comes on the back of an extensive tour of Ireland and the UK tour. Flitting between West Cork and Dublin, this offering was originally concieved in September 2020 but the release date, which was set for the following year, had to be put back due to COVID-19 restrictions in Ireland. The youngest of eight children, Gemma Hayes grew up in the hamlet of Ballyporeen in County Tipperary, unleashing herself on the world in 2002 with her debut album, ‘Night On My Side’. This is her first new album since 2014’s ‘Bones + Longing’’, and was produced by Hayes herself with the aid with Karl Odlum, David Odlum and Brian Casey. Sonically, if you haven’t encountered the artist before, it is like a more chilled-out but slightly darker sounding Bat for Lashes with Hayes having a unique vocal that totally suits the music it is encased in. The album is full of soft, sensitive guitar, unusual almost experimental and creepy synths, not forgetting some wonderfully melancholic cello for good measure. Gemma Hayes’ music is that accomplished that she has had a few tracks picked for film and TV. You might remember her version of Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game’, which was recorded for the US TV series ‘Pretty Little Liars’ and actually now has over 24 million streams on Spotify alone, Lyrically, on this offering, Hayes’s songwriting is as personal as it has ever been, tackling topics of longing, empowerment, freedom and subjugation. Of the nine tracks themselves, two feature Lisa Hannigan on backing vocals who appears on album starter ‘Eye For An Eye’ and ‘Feed The Flames’, while ‘Another Love’ is a poignant duet with fellow Irish singer-songwriter Paul Noonan of Bell XI fame. ‘Central Hotel’’ for me showcases Gemma’s varied vocals and is a personal favourite. ‘High and Low’ has a little National vibe to it, but the standout for me is ‘The Break Didn’t Heal Right’, which is the indie-est track on here and is the pinnacle of what is a superb album that needs to be heard by everyone. The CD comes as a lavish double gatefold affair with brooding artwork. The writing on it though is too small for an old fart like me even with my glasses on but other than that this whole thing is bloody marvellous!

Track Listing:-

1 Eye For An Eye
2 Central Hotel
3 Another Love
4 Hardwired
5 Feed The Flames
6 High & Low
7 The Break Didn't Heal Right
8 Can't Kill A Hunger
9 Return Of The Daughters