Review – Rachel Gaudry
‘Leaving Traces’
Independent album through
MGM Distribution
When
prompted to think of contemporary singer/songwriters whose general vehicle is
the piano, Ben
Folds, Tori
Amos, Sharyn
Bothe and Rachel
Gaudry are four names (in no particular order) that come to mind.
Some are influenced by others, some are influences for others, but one has an
independent album available only just this month, and is the first ©-P 2001 release
of the year.
“Leaving Traces” is the debut album for this
Sydney-based singer-songwriter who has spent a not inconsiderable proportion of
the last twelve months overseas, and plans to continue that trend over the next
twelve. At least now, though, we have more than a couple of tunes to carry us
through. “Leaving
Traces” is a collection of Adult Alternative tracks produced by Chad Wackerman
and featuring Mark (Garth Porter productions) Punch among the
musicians’ cast. Knowing Chad
has also worked for Barbra
Streisand and James
Taylor gives one insight to the styles explored in this CD; that I,
and probably others, have remarked, in previous articles on this lady, about
the Judie
Tzuke styled vocalising, especially in the Rhodes driven
tunes and in Don’t Push Me In and When Fortune Runs Dry, might
give another.
Other
tracks that stand out from this record include Loose Inside My Head, an
almost road-trip tempo song, although Rachel
herself describes Come Away with its world influences: a tribal African
‘come away’ chorus and Islamic adlib/fade; as her road trip song.
The
many faces in the Rachel’s
photographs at her new website are reflected in the musical facets of this
record which will surely be heard far and wide on radio stations around the
world very soon. Rachel
is a vault of influence and experience that will ensure an enjoyable evening of
song either at home, in car or live in concert and “Leaving Traces” is
as good a feel-good album as they come.