Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Like the good old 45 R.P.M single, the bastion of pop charts past, there are times when an E.P. can leave you trustingly wanting more. You love them; they speak to you in the same way that a novella or well-written Ernest Hemmingway short story can grab your attention for a while but you just cannot help knowing that a little more would send you over the edge into some sort of exquisite dream. Like the child only being allowed one small sweet lest the sugar content send them going into a crazy spiral of juvenile energy rush, the listener has to limit themselves to knowing what has been put out is enough, even if it is with a shrug of musical despondency.
Then there are those set of songs by an artist in which submits perfectly to the Goldilocks effect, the music, the taste of harmony and instrumentation is just right, it is perfect as it is and anything more would be a disservice to the artist. Such is the effect that Rachael Dunn has on the soul with her E.P. Placing Stars.
Three great tracks sit within the heart of Placing Stars, they engage with the listener and catches the senses slightly unawares of the sound to come, of the voice that beats like a metronome that has fallen in love. The introduction of a woman who knows she has a talent but uses that flair for good rather than enticement or torment. The gift of a wonderful voice should never be underestimated and in the three songs on offer on this E.P., Placing Stars, Falling Down and Summer Sunlight, there is much to take delight in, much to add to the abundance of talent that resides in the city of Liverpool.
For the listener Rachael Dunn represents that smooth ideal, the taste of letting honey slide down your throat and finding room for the beauty of persuasive velvet enlightenment.
Some E.P.s leave you slightly unfulfilled, like eating fast food every night of your life, Racheal Dunn offers you the satisfaction of a musical feast but one that won’t leave you bloated and sluggish. A wonderful set of songs in which to enjoy!
Ian D. Hall