HEIDI TALBOT – Here We Go 1,2,3 (Navigator Records)

Here We Go 1, 2, 3Heidi Talbot has been musically quiet of late, with her last album Angels Without Wings released in 2013 and only a Christmas single ‘Christmas in September’ in 2015.  However, that does not mean life has been uneventful and from those experiences comes a new album Here We Go 1,2,3 due for release on 23rd September and available to pre-order now.  The title track reflects a sense of things to come; a deep breath before a step into the unknown.

The central theme of the album is time, the way it can both move forward into the unknown and back in a loop to the familiar. Talbot has experienced both the joy of motherhood and the loss of her own mother in recent years and several of the songs have this ambiguous quality of both a mother and daughter being there for somebody else.  ‘Time To Rest’ could be a lullaby for a baby or a song of comfort for somebody at the other end of their life. ‘Mother Land’ also doesn’t specify who the songs is about. “Mother Land, Cradle me, Close me eyes, Lullaby me to sleep, Keep me safe, Lie with me, Stay beside me, Don’t go.

With 8 of the 10 tracks on the album either written or co-written by Talbot this is a very personal collection of songs that make the most of her delicate voice which has just that hint of vulnerability.  ‘Tell Me What You Think Of Me’ is a heartbreaking ode to unrequited love.  “I can’t be the only who loves him from afar, Every thought I have is him and every sunrise starts with him.  Tell me, do you ever think of me?

Despite this the album is not a collection of maudlin songs, instead it shows the comfort music can bring at times of change.  Whilst not upbeat it has a quiet, restorative calm and gives the listener a chance to step back from the here and now and take stock.  It’s a beautifully crafted work that draws the listener in and leaves them comforted that all will be well in the end.

Although the key sound is the voice the carefully selected musicians, including John McCusker, Innnes White and Michael McGoldrick amongst many others, ensure quality in every note.  There will also be a nationwide tour in the autumn to accompanying the release and details are available on the website.

Tony Birch

 Artist’s website: http://www.heiditalbot.com

There are no videos from the new album yet but here’s a one-off. ‘The Blackest Crow’ as a duet with Kris Drever: