Karen Grace - Deep Down Things

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 24 / 4 / 2014

Label: Karen Grace
Format: CDS

intro

Fantastic debut EP from elusive London-based singer-songwriter and musician, Karen Grace

Nearly a minute of sound passes before the world is introduced to Karen Grace’s remarkable vocals. The first few unsettling yet compelling seconds of music that open ‘Deep Down Things’ indicate that Grace is going to be something of a challenging listen, and certainly not one of the more cutesy little-girl-lost singers that are plentiful just now. There’s depth and substance to the five songs Grace has chosen for her debut EP; something that is sorely missing from much of her contemporaries work. Producer Iain Archer (Snow Patrol, Jake Bugg) has, as would be expected, brought out the best in Grace’s songs; the stirring musical passages in the title track are at odds with the brooding opening section, raising the tempo adds a dramatic twist to the song which also reveals layers of beauty that were hidden just under the surface of the song. Then there’s that voice. Full of confidence and powerful Grace is one of those singers that, despite her multi-octave vocal range, doesn’t throw in unnecessary sounds just because she can. Every word that Grace sings is clear and is sung with the type of passion that only comes from one who has lived through these songs. While the title track is by far the darkest song on the EP and the most atmospheric and adventurous musically, Grace’s vocals still steal the song. I’ll leave it to others to come up with some comparisons because I’m struggling here to come up with any other female singer that can express herself so powerfully while not losing the sensitivity in her voice like Grace does throughout this EP. ‘This Fear’, a pretty banjo drenched tune displays all that you need to know about the music of Karen Grace. Grace’s pure vocals on this particular track are simply spellbinding; it’s impossible not to like this song, like all of the tracks on ‘Deep Down Things’ no one genre is favoured, Grace doesn’t even take elements from other genres to create something new. This is simply Karen Grace music, adventurous, musically rich, lyrically thought-provoking and blessed with one of the most impressive, real voices you’ve heard in a long time. Both ‘Tired Heart’ and the acoustic ‘Sapling’ show a slightly lighter side to Grace’s music. That’s not to say that they lack the imaginative arrangements afforded to the rest of the EP. In fact ‘Tired Heart’, despite the melancholy lyrics, is a pretty, uplifting tune which again defies being pigeon-holed into any music category, and is littered with little musical flourishes which make the song irresistible. ‘The Wild’ closes the EP in much the same way it started, an atmospheric piece that conjures up a wild, windy landscape, with Grace's violin playing on this track adding to this feeling. Over the course of five songs Karen Grace creates a unique sound and proves that she is an artist that we certainly want to hear more from. How long Grace has been writing songs of this quality is unclear to us just now, but hopefully it won’t be too long before we hear more from this unique artist. Whatever that elusive, magic ingredient is that makes some artists really shine; Grace undoubtedly has been blessed with it.

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