Chantel McGregor – The Healing
It’s been a long, ten-year wait for an all-new studio album from proudly independent singer-songwriter and outstanding guitarist Chantel McGregor, an artist who, to her credit, continues to dance (or rather write, play & perform) to her own highly creative tune.
However it’s been well worth that decade wait since the southern gothic themed Lose Control, because with The Healing Miss McGregor, in the company of regular bandmates Colin Sutton (bass) and Thom Gardner (drums), has delivered her best work to date. And her most personal.
The Healing also features co-writing collaboration with Dead Collective bandmates Oli Brown and Wayne Proctor, who also co-produced, mixed & mastered the album.
The results are a dark, heavy and great sounding album that includes a touch of prog and even some Moog textures (synths & programming are courtesy of Oli Brown).
Lyrically, the powerful opening statement that is 'I Will Breathe' encapsulates the album’s overarching theme of grief, reflection and feeling lost before coming out into the light with a new sense of purpose, peace and healing ("reflecting on what I could be… a better life, a better me").
Musically, the song is a progressively arranged, Steven Wilson-esque piece that flits between lighter, atmospheric passages (with interesting rhythmic frameworks), heavier rock stanzas and an impacting chorus.
A dark instrumental section then finds its way into the light via a beautifully striking solo from Chantel McGregor, which itself leads to a final chorus.
The shimmering contemporary rock of 'Broken Heartless Liar' lyrically touches, with no little angst, on the theme of destructive relationships. The song features a big hook chorus, some great drum work from Thom Gardner and an excellent, positively empowered solo from McGregor.
The downtempo and slow-building 'Tears' offers lyrical reflection over an atmospheric set of verses and a heavy (in both senses) melodic chorus ("tears that fall like rain, wash away the memory of what we made").
A purposeful middle 8 then leads to a short but striking solo that cries in sympathy to the song’s lyric.
Thom Gardner again shines here, as does Chantel McGregor with a highly impassioned vocal.
'Stand On My Own' is, lyrically, a song about just that.
A purposeful and empowering melodic rock number with a subtle Americana twist, it comes complete with a gorgeous and celebratory song-ending solo from McGregor.
However it’s been well worth that decade wait since the southern gothic themed Lose Control, because with The Healing Miss McGregor, in the company of regular bandmates Colin Sutton (bass) and Thom Gardner (drums), has delivered her best work to date. And her most personal.
The Healing also features co-writing collaboration with Dead Collective bandmates Oli Brown and Wayne Proctor, who also co-produced, mixed & mastered the album.
The results are a dark, heavy and great sounding album that includes a touch of prog and even some Moog textures (synths & programming are courtesy of Oli Brown).
Lyrically, the powerful opening statement that is 'I Will Breathe' encapsulates the album’s overarching theme of grief, reflection and feeling lost before coming out into the light with a new sense of purpose, peace and healing ("reflecting on what I could be… a better life, a better me").
Musically, the song is a progressively arranged, Steven Wilson-esque piece that flits between lighter, atmospheric passages (with interesting rhythmic frameworks), heavier rock stanzas and an impacting chorus.
A dark instrumental section then finds its way into the light via a beautifully striking solo from Chantel McGregor, which itself leads to a final chorus.
The shimmering contemporary rock of 'Broken Heartless Liar' lyrically touches, with no little angst, on the theme of destructive relationships. The song features a big hook chorus, some great drum work from Thom Gardner and an excellent, positively empowered solo from McGregor.
The downtempo and slow-building 'Tears' offers lyrical reflection over an atmospheric set of verses and a heavy (in both senses) melodic chorus ("tears that fall like rain, wash away the memory of what we made").
A purposeful middle 8 then leads to a short but striking solo that cries in sympathy to the song’s lyric.
Thom Gardner again shines here, as does Chantel McGregor with a highly impassioned vocal.
'Stand On My Own' is, lyrically, a song about just that.
A purposeful and empowering melodic rock number with a subtle Americana twist, it comes complete with a gorgeous and celebratory song-ending solo from McGregor.
'Echoes' is a dreamy affair that opens, and indeed continues, as a rhythmically shifting ballad with delicate vocality. The song then builds to a heavier, Floyd-esque second half (including a solo Davd Gilmour would be happy to call his own) before returning to the lightness of the song’s core. Great stuff.
'Undercover' is a catchy and effective three-minutes of guitar-led hard pop-rock that the likes of Orianthi would have a radio play hit with.
It's also a great example of Chantel McGregor’s multi-faceted, never one-dimensional approach.
Dark, contemporary rock contrast then comes by way of 'Truth Will Out.'
With atmospheric, staccato sharp verses/ vocal lines and more excellent drum work from Thom Gardner, the near seven-minute number leans toward Steven Wilson and his modern prog ilk; as it builds toward a powerful crescendo finish, there are definite touches of Porcupine Tree and Opeth.
Lyrically, 'Truth Will Out' is aimed four-square at those in the music industry who tried to shape Chantel McGregor into a sweetness & light commercial image.
The song closes out on a biting, anguished and highly impacting solo from McGregor that doubles as a defiant, six-string retort to the talent scout who said to her, back in the pre-debut album day, "girls don’t play guitar like that." This one does, mate. And we’re all incredibly grateful for that.
The album closes out on the emotionally charged title track.
Written shortly after Chantel McGregor’s mum had been seriously ill, and acting as a musical catharsis after the relief of recovery ("start to find my healing, stop the bleeding") 'The Healing' carries arrangement echoes of a plaintive Jeff Buckley (no bad thing) before the full band kick in, accompanied by semi-choral harmonies and a short but beautiful, blues-tinted solo.
Working with her regular bandmates in the studio, along with the Oli Brown-Wayne Proctor input, has paid songwriting and performance dividends for Chantel McGregor, because The Healing is an outstanding album.
The Healing is also the perfect title for such a personal and cathartic work, but it could well have been sub-titled This Is Chantel McGregor. In all her talented, creative and refusal to conform glory.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
'Undercover' is a catchy and effective three-minutes of guitar-led hard pop-rock that the likes of Orianthi would have a radio play hit with.
It's also a great example of Chantel McGregor’s multi-faceted, never one-dimensional approach.
Dark, contemporary rock contrast then comes by way of 'Truth Will Out.'
With atmospheric, staccato sharp verses/ vocal lines and more excellent drum work from Thom Gardner, the near seven-minute number leans toward Steven Wilson and his modern prog ilk; as it builds toward a powerful crescendo finish, there are definite touches of Porcupine Tree and Opeth.
Lyrically, 'Truth Will Out' is aimed four-square at those in the music industry who tried to shape Chantel McGregor into a sweetness & light commercial image.
The song closes out on a biting, anguished and highly impacting solo from McGregor that doubles as a defiant, six-string retort to the talent scout who said to her, back in the pre-debut album day, "girls don’t play guitar like that." This one does, mate. And we’re all incredibly grateful for that.
The album closes out on the emotionally charged title track.
Written shortly after Chantel McGregor’s mum had been seriously ill, and acting as a musical catharsis after the relief of recovery ("start to find my healing, stop the bleeding") 'The Healing' carries arrangement echoes of a plaintive Jeff Buckley (no bad thing) before the full band kick in, accompanied by semi-choral harmonies and a short but beautiful, blues-tinted solo.
Working with her regular bandmates in the studio, along with the Oli Brown-Wayne Proctor input, has paid songwriting and performance dividends for Chantel McGregor, because The Healing is an outstanding album.
The Healing is also the perfect title for such a personal and cathartic work, but it could well have been sub-titled This Is Chantel McGregor. In all her talented, creative and refusal to conform glory.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ