‘Day Fever’ was released back in February on City Slang Records and is songwriter Cherilyn MacNeil's first release in four years. Just under 40 minutes in length this is a beautiful record. Cherilyn has a voice somewhere between Kate Bush, Fiona Apple and Agnes Obel; in other words, delightful.
Opener, ‘Oh, the Sky’ is a wondrous start and you would think music that represents a South African sky. “Oh the sky is an ocean” is the Fiona Apple like lament. Cherilyn is a South African based in Berlin. The album itself was recorded in John Vanderslice’s San Francisco studio.
John Vanderslice has made a name for himself in analog recording, something Cherilyn hadn’t explored prior to the decision to record with him. “On tape, digitally correcting small mistakes during production wasn’t an option: they’d keep a track or erase it - all of it - and start again”.
‘Tie me to the Ground” is a widescreen song, sweet, with an underlying terror of life on the street. Each song on the album is the result of just one, or a maximum of two, studio performances., like listening to an album recorded live. Each song paints a picture in your mind. ‘So petty, so pathetic’ is an equally enjoyable tune with gritty lyrics “You scumbags go to hell” yet with Cherilyn’s voice it is a dream like song.
In “Placate Her,” we wonder why we can’t just be nice to ourselves. “Mean Well” is a tragic look at vulnerability and anxiety. This is a beautiful record, full of twists and turns with the backing choir keeping it on an angelic level .
‘Nothing Melodious’, mainly acoustic guitar and vocals is a delight and brings another style to the record. ‘Then Not Now’ brings in an organ that gives a dark backing to the song. The album concludes with ‘The Run’ , a bright breezy conclusion.
This is a real find, ‘Dear Reader’ is new to me, let's hope there are some live shows soon
Pete
10/11
