SHEILA K CAMERON – River To Sea (Glalell SKC1709CD)

River To SeaSheila K Cameron has systematically reissued some of her early recordings over the last few years. She is a Scottish songwriter and singer who has lived for much of her life on the island of Haida Gwaii off the coast of British Columbia. Her style is a mixture of folk, blues and jazz and River To Sea is a combination of two sets arranged by Wild Biscuit (John Saich and Mags Russell).

The first seven tracks were released in 2016 under the title More Like A River Than A Road. Some of the songs are little more than sketches but it seems that Sheila recorded just about everything she wrote and these tracks were those selected for polishing. ‘Last Night I Dreamed About Doris Lessing’ and ‘Somehow (Everything From My Suitcase Has Got Scattered On The Road)’ give you a glimpse into the quirkiness of her writing.  These tracks were written on Haida Gwaii and are linked to the Tlell River referred to in the title.

The second half the album began on Haida Gwaii and ended on Tiree where ‘All You Need Is The Sea’ was written. These are more recent tracks, more developed and with bigger arrangements. ‘Another Dream’ and ‘Moxie Blues’ are real gems. If Sheila is aiming for a comeback this album should give her a push in the right direction.

Dai Jeffries

Artist’s website: www.sheilakcameron.com

Read Su O’Brien’s review of another of Sheila K Cameron’s reissues, Alone On The Road here.

‘All You Really Need Is The Sea’ – official video:


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