Album Review: Melanie Horsnell - The Cloud Appreciation Society

Melanie was one of the precursors of the soft vocal style adopted by so many young indie darlings. Whether to thank her or curse her I'm not quite sure, but the one thing that is clear is she has really developed and matured as a more well-rounded songsmith. Even though she opens the album with Gershwin's Oh So Nice, the album is resolutely personal and all her own. She stamps her emotional obsessions all over the album and she balances all of this with her pet loves in life. This third album is a well-honed outing.

Horsnell's move to the country has influenced her sound and together with Paul Greene, she has produced an intimate raw-sounding album. The flagship song here is Uncoordinated Conversation, which keeps it simple with some picking guitar and a sprightly melody. When she sings from the heart, as on If We Can Be Together, she is as good as any other songstresses in town. There are actually moments when you feel that either Horsnell or you will burst into tears. It's touching lyrics set upon simple instrumentation.

The production is relatively lo-fi, which adds to the appeal of some of these songs. Perhaps some tracks, like Love You Madly, could have done with some more thoughtful arrangements, but in saying that, the album does hang together well. There are songs that touch upon her new abode, like Black Mountain, and there is the beautiful My Harmony, My Gypsy, which captures those wonderful moments of motherhood. This third album certainly marks a more mature artist who is in touch with her emotions.