A favourite of this website, we’re very much welcoming the next step in the journey of Rianne Downey, with her eagerly anticipated debut album The Consequence of Love, which drops today (17th October).
It’s a record that perfectly represents Downey’s beautifully wholesome persona. Having spent the last couple of years as the perfect foil to Paul Heaton, standing in for Jacqui Abbott, now is the time for Downey to re-emerge as an artist in her own right with 10 well crafted folk-pop songs.
The opening track – Good in Goodbye – tells us the story which sums up the sunny optimism of Downey’s signature sound. “It’s a reflection on finding peace in goodbyes and trusting that heartbreak is the doorway to growth.” It’s a hopeful opening, which leads into a Celtic-inspired ode to her homeland. The Song of Glencoe comes closer to a traditional Scottish folk song and is “set against a backdrop of Scotland’s enchanted highlands.” It’s a tribute to Caledonian folklore, but infused with her own style, dropping back into her natural accent on occasion.
The record floats forward through the pleasant title track, into Lost In Blue, which Downey has described as ‘a sad girl anthem’, a tale of trying to claim back her identity following the demise of a “situationship”.
Occasionally, the album veers too close to twee, traditional country for my personal taste – Angel, for example, feels like a tribute to the classic American exponents of the genre, while some of the lyrics in Because can feel a little too sugary.
The record finishes strongly with Blue Eyes Burnin’ in particular showcasing Downey’s beautifully pure vocal. The production allows that to come through with greater depth and power than some of the tracks midway through the record, and it feels like this could have sat in the hands of Vonda Shepherd at the end of an episode of Ally McBeal.
Downey’s talent for something more cinematic was evident in her early track Method to My Madness, and the album’s closer Heart of Mine also has a soundscape that you can visualise. It’s a great “story song” – one of being away, aching and longing to get home. It’s a motif Downey has used before, and while her folk-country-pop has a real Americana sensibility, you know she’ll never leave behind those roots from north of the border.
It’s a fresh, light, breezy album. Released just as we head into darker autumnal nights, this is a ray of sunshine that will carry us through the winter and beyond with a contented smile on our faces.
You can catch Rianne Downey on tour from the end of October, starting off at The Foundry in Sheffield on 28th October, a sold out show at OMEARA in London and culminating in early December at The Old Fruitmarket in her home town of Glasgow.
28th October – The Foundry, Sheffield
29th October – OMEARA, London
30th October – The Globe, Cardiff
1st November – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
5th November – The Wardrobe, Leeds
7th November – NSU Reds Bar, Newcastle
8th November – The Arts Club, Liverpool
12th November – Soundhouse, Dublin
13th November – Ulster Sports Club, Belfast
5th December – Band On The Wall, Manchester
6th December – The Old Fruit Market, Glasgow
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