I just received Helen Southall's cdr in the mail from Melbourne.
I was suprised when I heard it. Something worked on me after a few tracks and I moved closer in to the music, took my time to hear it, more of it.
The recordings are personal. The guitar is audible in a way secondary to the voice, strumming with a loose wrist bard's chords; picking sparse notes. Her voice has all the natural folk feeling imbedded into it, the English accent subtle.
The record I received, a self-titled and released disc came with recommendations from a friend and a record store owner in Melbourne just recently.
Having played regular sessions at Brisbane's Audiopollen, she often felt seperate from the other artists. Likely the impetus of making her type of music would provide that, saying that she goes for ther guitar when feeling melancholic. Being from Birmingham originally, she claims strong and initial influences of British folk music on her singing and playing.
Helen Southall listens to Charalambides, Christina Carter, and Spires That in the Sunset Rise among many other things of course. Her music is very original in its personality, and informed as well, in the best ways.
I have an outright affinity for psychedelic music and was pleased to hear these recordings. They come to me after a few years or so of being cognizant of Pip Proud, The Cherry Blossoms, Linda Perhacs, and These Trails. This ethereal music is some of the most creative I have heard, being so by being personal music, experimental music.
Here you can see Helen Southall's internet presence, and I am sure contact her should you have any further questions about obtaining her recordings:
