Tuesday 20 November 2012

Angel Snow - Angel Snow



Nifty Lift

It’s a nifty lift up the musical ladder when you have written for Alison Krauss, and first song Lie Awake on Angel Snow’s album is also the third on Krauss’ last Paper Airplane where it got its initial recorded outing. Alison’s take is typically ethereal vocally, with dobro, mandolin and pedal steel adding the other requisite atmospheric parts. Angel’s take is a fuller, deeper vocal and it is less countrified. But what a fine song for both versions. Alison Krauss’ brother Victor is Snow’s writing partner, having been introduced after Alison met Angel and liked her music. Well, can you imagine the reciprocity of that encounter!

The second track on Snow’s eponymous debut is a folkblues As You Are and this too is a fine song. The vocal has genuine depth and range well suited to the strong pulse of this track. Fourth These Days is mainly acoustic guitar over which Snow’s voice again has strength and clarity [I know these become clichés over time and reference: put simply, Snow has a genuinely beautiful and full vocal] and it is merged to neat effect on some rising harmonies.

Fifth Windows Open is quite brooding with its orchestral strings as backdrop to a slow sad song about saying goodbye and the lies that lead to this leaving. At least I think that’s what it’s saying. There is plot to the lyrical narratives and these stories unravel rather than getting simple choric repeats, so they require some attention. It will take time. Seventh Gasoline requires a similar concentration. But I get distracted by the purity of the vocal, as with the plaintive blues of Coals and Water – a gorgeous delivery. The closing and twelfth track A Place Outside is quite a simplistic melody – a repeated rise and fall phrase – but again it is Snow’s limpid voice that effortlessly controls, confirming a real talent for now and the future. 

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