Scottish songstress Rachel Sermanni unveils her debut album Under Mountains this month and it is a thing of beauty. Falling somewhere between the quirky Nu-Folk of Joanna Newsom and the more mature sophistication of Norah Jones, this is an impeccably produced collection of songs that showcases the outstanding vocal talents of Ms Sermanni. Right from the opening track 'Breath Easy', we are left in no doubt as to where this albums strengths lie - her voice is pushed right up in the mix, and with restrained and sympathetic instrumentation and arrangements, the overall package is extremely seductive.
Ms Sermanni has been wooing fans on the Scottish folk circuit for some time now – Under Mountains is possibly a bolder record than one might have expected given her predominantly folk roots. There is the almost brassy pop chorus of 'The Fog', the Beatles-y harmonies on 'Sea oh See' and a strong jazz undercurrent on some of these tracks, evidence that Sermanni is not ready to be pigeon-holed so early in her career. On standout track, the impossibly beautiful 'Marshmallow Unicorn' Sermanni employs her unique voice to devastating effect backed by a gorgeous folk guitar motif. When she sings '..and I know that I will find her by the tremors left behind her for with each ripple on the water she prays...'you know you are you are in the presence of a writer with a talent to match her vocal prowess. She is at her very best when she reins in the vocals – possessing an impressive range, she cuts loose on one or two occasions and it is not nearly as effective as when she keeps it low key and restrained.
The album finishes with the aching 'To a Fox', a fittingly beguiling end to an impressively assured debut. It will be interesting to see where Rachel Sermanni goes from here - it is not too difficult to see her appeal to an older, more sophisticated market, the terrain of Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Sarah McLachlan et al.
Alternatively, bands like Of Monsters and Men and Mumford and Son are currently enjoying huge success with their attempts to bring folk into the pop mainstream – Sermanni could easily follow the path paved by acts like these.
For now, there is enough on here to herald the arrival of a bright new talent – Under Mountains is a bewitching debut that warrants close attention.
Review by Paul Page
