Laura Fell releases Safe From Me; an exquisite debut from London-based singer-songwriter who is a trained psychotherapist.
Release Date: 20th November 2020
Label: Balloon Machine
Formats: CD / Digital / Limited Colour LP (Pre-Order Here)
Safe From Me is the acclaimed debut album from London-based singer-songwriter, Laura Fell. A qualified psychotherapist, Laura has written a set of songs which, in one form or other, describe searches for answers that she feels that she is expected to have to hand. And what an album this is!
Central to the whole production is Laura’s rich, deep, ethereal voice that leaves the listener with no option other than to be drawn into the depths of the music and to contemplate the thoughtful, insightful and occasionally highly humorous lyrics.
The songs were composed and developed with the aid of only an acoustic guitar, but, recognizing that these songs deserve a considerably richer texture, Laura held down three jobs to fund the services of a small team of backing musicians, and the flugelhorns, cellos, saxophones and double bass that were brought to the party were a wise investment indeed. The sum of the parts add up to an exquisite album that you’ll want to hear again and again.
Safe From Me is a short album, but every track is a winner and if Laura’s voice doesn’t make you shiver right from its very first tones, I can only suggest that that’s your loss. We start with Glad, that ethereal vocal backed with subtle instrumentation and percussion to give an oriental feel to a song that offers words of comfort to Laura’s recently divorced parents.
Bone of Contention is an excellent, smouldering ¾ tune with words that remonstrate with a lapsed partner via a list of well-worn clichés; it’s a great song – entertaining and one of the album’s singles. Cold has also seen release as a single; Laura’s voice hits it’s deepest groove to a predominantly percussive backing.
Left Foot Right Foot is another highly enjoyable number. A co-composition and duet with Gus White, it’s a bluesy assessment of a tangled relationship via the metaphor of a clumsily executed dance. Every Time is faster, jazzier and equally enjoyable, with yet another excellent vocal delivery.
Laura sounds at her most frail on Until Now, a track that builds satisfyingly from its acoustic guitar beginning to its full band finale – as does the title track, on which the incoming instruments all sound slightly at odds with each other – an effect which adds to the growing drama of the tune and the lyric. Closing track I Didn’t Mean To is a beautiful song, with lyrics that express the regrets that we’ve all experienced after saying hurtful things to loved one.
Safe From Me is a truly excellent album, a deceptively mature debut from a highly talented artist. We’ll be hearing a lot more of Laura Fell – just wait and see!
You can pre-order the album via Laura Fell’s Bandcamp page, and you can pre-order the album on exclusive coloured vinyl, here. You can also read our interview with Laura about the album, here.
Laura Fell: Bandcamp / Official Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Balloon Machine Records: Bandcamp
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