Passion and originality announce the arrival of a rare talent.
Lucy Mellenfield began self-releasing her music while studying at the University of Southampton. It was a move to Birmingham to continue her education via a master’s in Jazz Voice that began to shape the songs on her debut album “Tell the Water, She Will Listen.” Twelve tracks produced by Chris Hyson take us through a sonic landscape of keyboards, guitars, saxophones and drums. At over 75 minutes in total, there is plenty to get involved with here.
The opening ‘Like a Feather’, which was released as a single, is a good example, starting with haunting piano-backed vocals before building to a crescendo of sound. The feather is a symbol of fragility, and that’s a theme that runs throughout the album. ‘Paper Thin’ reflects an unpredictable, agonising love affair with the chorus “Will you return tomorrow will you be here tomorrow like you were today?”, producing a wide vocal range, which adds to the almost unsettling nature of the song. As Mellenfield reflected, lockdown had a profound effect on her music: “The whole lockdown period inspired creativity and lent a lot of time to focus on song writing, a chance for an empty mind to wander and reflect.” If there is a track that sums up that feeling, it’s ‘Yellow Duck’ with lyrics that turn from a simple melody into a much deeper reflection on life.
The album finishes with the two-part ‘At The Mercy’, which follows a similar pattern with a haunting vocal over a chilling baseline moving towards a wall of sound. These are songs not to be taken lightly that demonstrate a heartfelt passion and originality.
