Lofty Reviews: New Forest – Cathy Davey

Lofty looks at the long awaited New Forest album from Cathy Davey

After six long years Cathy Davey returns with ‘New Forest’. It’s an album that unfolds like a Tim Burton film or a Neil Gaiman book, full of quirky stories, twisted relationships and bursting with atmosphere.

The tone is set right from the start as the title track is an off-kilter fairy tale that envelops you into a haze of sepia toned nostalgia. Lead track ‘The Pattern’ is a more upbeat number full of whoozy keyboards and triumphant mix of vocals which still packs a menacing undertone.

There is no set style here with everything from rockabilly, bossa nova, 60’s era girl group melodrama and even a whistle-a-long ditty thrown into a delightful mix; ensuring the listener is never sure what’s coming next. The variety of musical surprises that Davey has up her sleeves are inspired, particularly given the unique twists that she applies to them and the underlying black humour.

Other highlights on the album in addition to the powerful opening one-two punch include ‘Snitch’ with it’s rhythmic clap along infectiousness. Then there is the brilliant ‘Thylacine’ which could be the theme tune to some weird western. It features some beautiful percussion and a heavenly chorus of voices.

But in truth ‘New Forest’ is an album that delights in it’s entirety. Any misgivings that Cathy Davey’s lengthy musical hiatus may have engendered can be instantly dismissed. She has delivered her most accomplished album to date, an album which is a treat to the ears and the imagination.

‘New Forest’ is out now and is available via Hammer Toe Records on CD & digital download from iTunes.

Catch Cathy live as she takes to the road this autumn on a nationwide tour, dates include Dolan’s on October 15th and Whelan’s on October 22nd.

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