The rockier side of acoustica explored
Whatever you’re expecting, put it to one side. There are a million and one female singer-songwriters out there, and most of them are lovely. But then there are some that are trying to break out of that mould, or were never in it. That’s where Clara Kousah comes in. The album art, in fact, everything about the packaging suggests that this is just another bit of acoustic caterwauling. But put ‘High Stakes’ on, and it’s a half-decent rock song. It’s a song you could imagine doing really well live. Check the credits out, and the reason behind this curious rock-out is clear: the album’s produced by Russ Russell, most famous for working with Napalm Death and The Wildhearts.
Of course, there’ll be acoustic moments. ‘It Takes Time’ is nice enough, and the cutely observed ‘Orange Cat’ has rings of Cat Stevens-esque songwriting in its strange subject matter. It’s a close-run thing: the lyrics and musicianship are excellent, but it’s the overall superb production and general putting-together of the album that lifts it above the average. Kousah also demonstrates a superb range, from the whimsical, to the rocky, to the slightly darker territory of ‘Holy Angels’. There are some fantastic moments where the pulse races at the bassy, throbbing intro of ‘My Last Breath’, and you hope upon hope that it’s going to turn into an out-and-out rocker. Which, sadly, isn’t quite the case, but it’s still excellent.
Kousah’s voice is phenomenal, with a subtle power behind it. More importantly, it doesn’t have any off the affectations that a lot of singer-songwriters pick up from trying to copy their idols. The influences are there; in the hints of Joni Mitchell in ‘Underground’ to moments that would make Tori Amos proud.
For all of this, ‘Dark To Light’ is still a debut album, and sounds very much so. It’s testing the ground, and very often staying in the middle of the road with tracks like ‘Underground’. They’re good tracks, but nothing outstanding. If she evolved the rockier sound she might have something truly unique. Right now, it’s crossing a lot of ground, maybe too much, semi-appealing to the acoustic singer-songwriter buying public, and also going for the rock audience. But you get the feeling that this is an artist who will never stand still. And long may that last.