Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Such is the price of being human that we see our lives in a series of ages, momentous occasions are rooted and used as a pinpoint to describe our time on Earth as if it were a competition to see who can rack up the most experiences in a short space of time, a game show where the prize is a full montage of moments that span certain ages and responses, all peaks, maybe the troughs, but no flat line of reflection, no stable course in which consideration is due; and it is to our peril that we seek to impose this standard on all without a thought on what it do to those who like their variety to be one that encompasses all such emotions.
To accept that life must be a progression that is one journey and not moments made up of those memories that make us smile inanely as we blink through the remainder as if we can turn it off at will, is a sign of Continuum, the acceptance that every extent of emotion and existence will at some point lead us believe that we can be a finely tuned machine that has covered every mile available to us. It is in the acceptance that there must be downtime between the peaks and troughs that fuels the fire, and one to whom Carol Fieldhouse has perfectly nailed in her new album, Continuum.
An album that contains the trusted Boo Hewerdine, John McCusker, Chris Pepper, Neil MacColl, and Mohammadreza Behjat, will undoubtedly catch the ear of the listener, no matter who the band leader is, but with Carol Fieldhouse at the helm, the sound takes on a deeper resonance, it explores with a fine toothcomb the response, brushing out the knots that occur in every life with care, attention, and detail, and as tracks such as Beyond The Rising Tide, Laura, Little Red Scarf, Woman Of The Land, Daises, and the album title track of Continuum all sway with satisfaction, generous breadth and guile, so the response is to be welcomed, to be admired.
For the listener, the album is a treat of expression, of understanding the extent of fulfilling the dream of equality within the mind, of accepting that all that happens in life can be used as an inspiration, and with a band behind her, stood by her side, the belief is one of encompassing beauty.
Continue onwards always, but never forget that life is more than just signposts, it is one huge gem ready to be shown to all.
Carol Fieldhouse releases Continuum on June 10th.
Ian D. Hall