Rebecca Downes – The Space Between Us
British blues rock songstress Rebecca Downes has, to some degree, returned to those rock and blues roots with fifth studio album The Space Between Us.
Musical truth be told however it’s more like a blues-rock mosaic that forks from the road travelled on her outstanding 2019 album More Sinner Than Saint.
Indeed The Space Between Us sees Rebecca Downes, along with her guitarist and songwriting partner Steve Birkett, stretching and pushing their artistic boundaries further – the eleven songs, all of which carry an intentional live feel, range from big, bold blues rock to darker, atmospheric numbers and a choice cover.
The short and scratchy record sound (nice vintage gramophone touch) of 'Becs Blues' doesn’t, in any musical way, carry on from where More Sinner Than Saint left off but it does nod to a continuation of clearly personal lyrical themes, where Rebecca Downes gets to clear the vocal and lyrical air (here considering heading "to a place the hurt can’t find me and there I’ll stay").
It's a clever yet deceptive opening because just as the record crackles fade, out blasts the amps to 11 Hendrix-styled opening of lead-off single 'Hold On,' a muscular slice of mid-tempo rock blues that sits its guitar heavy sound over a spacious and groovy rhythm; lyrically Rebecca Downes (with Steve Birkett on harmony backing) melodically and powerfully confirms that if we stick together we’ll be OK, thank you very much.
Musical truth be told however it’s more like a blues-rock mosaic that forks from the road travelled on her outstanding 2019 album More Sinner Than Saint.
Indeed The Space Between Us sees Rebecca Downes, along with her guitarist and songwriting partner Steve Birkett, stretching and pushing their artistic boundaries further – the eleven songs, all of which carry an intentional live feel, range from big, bold blues rock to darker, atmospheric numbers and a choice cover.
The short and scratchy record sound (nice vintage gramophone touch) of 'Becs Blues' doesn’t, in any musical way, carry on from where More Sinner Than Saint left off but it does nod to a continuation of clearly personal lyrical themes, where Rebecca Downes gets to clear the vocal and lyrical air (here considering heading "to a place the hurt can’t find me and there I’ll stay").
It's a clever yet deceptive opening because just as the record crackles fade, out blasts the amps to 11 Hendrix-styled opening of lead-off single 'Hold On,' a muscular slice of mid-tempo rock blues that sits its guitar heavy sound over a spacious and groovy rhythm; lyrically Rebecca Downes (with Steve Birkett on harmony backing) melodically and powerfully confirms that if we stick together we’ll be OK, thank you very much.
The aforementioned boundary stretching is typified by 'This is How it Feels.'
A pulsating and slightly unsettling (in a good way) number, it features moody verses, great vocal phrasing (a skill in which Miss Downes is a league leader) and a big melodic chorus that lyrically seems to be saying try being in my shoes for a while (or in this case four impressive musical minutes).
'Terrorise' is a contemporary piece of angular, down-tempo rock with a disconcerting but captivating rhythm courtesy of Rebecca Downes’ live band-mates Neil Ablard (drums) and Vince Yarrington, who delivers some sinewy bass lines (Rebecca Downes Band keyboardist Nigel Darvill also features throughout the album).
The title track, which follows, is a cool little piece of mid-tempo, melodic blues rock; it manages to conjure the sound of a slightly off-kilter Rolling Stones meeting a chorus that Thunder would be proud of.
The rhythmic and slightly brooding 'Lights Go Out' features call & answer vocals from Rebecca Downes and Steve Birkett on the verses before an emphatic, melodic hook chorus steps up to showcase one of Rebecca Downes’ most impassioned deliveries ("take it away, don’t need your hatred").
The three-and-half minute 'Head Over Heart,' with its quirky little blues riff, carries great airplay potential but the most radio friendly number on the album is unquestionably the melodically blues rockin' rendition of Free’s 'A Little Bit of Love.'
Carrying a little more guitar jangle than the original (and performed a tad quicker), the song's optimistic lyricism and upbeat musicality is just the little bit of love tonic we need for what ails us in an uncertain world.
Also carrying hope ("gotta get me a new foundation, gotta stop me from falling down") is the bluesy, piano & Hammond backed 'Four Leaf Clover' (finding "a rabbit’s foot" and "looking for shooting stars" is also part of the better luck around the next corner deal).
Much as the atmospheric 'Stand On My Feet' was the fulcrum point of More Sinner Than Saint, the dark gospel, bell tolling six-minute blues 'Not On My Knees' stands tall as the keystone piece of The Space Between Us.
'Not On My Knees' is also Rebecca Downes at her most defiant; rising lyrically above the naysayers, critics and those that would bring negativity and hurt, the song delivers in deceptively powerful fashion, bolstered by one of Downes’ strongest and most passionate deliveries to date.
As if to offer lighter musical relief, the album ends with live-in-the-studio number 'Rattle My Cage,' a Rollin’ And Tumblin’ styled mid-tempo blues workout.
It's also sure to be a winner with a live audience, where the song and band will have space to stretch and
ad-lib even further.
With a fine engineering and production job from Steve Birkett (with assistance from Steve Birkett Jnr) and an excellent live sounding mix from Gavin Monaghan (Editors, Scott Matthews, Robert Plant, Paolo Nutini) The Space Between Us is, like More Sinner Than Saint, another excellent multi-hued offering from a highly accomplished, award winning singer.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
A pulsating and slightly unsettling (in a good way) number, it features moody verses, great vocal phrasing (a skill in which Miss Downes is a league leader) and a big melodic chorus that lyrically seems to be saying try being in my shoes for a while (or in this case four impressive musical minutes).
'Terrorise' is a contemporary piece of angular, down-tempo rock with a disconcerting but captivating rhythm courtesy of Rebecca Downes’ live band-mates Neil Ablard (drums) and Vince Yarrington, who delivers some sinewy bass lines (Rebecca Downes Band keyboardist Nigel Darvill also features throughout the album).
The title track, which follows, is a cool little piece of mid-tempo, melodic blues rock; it manages to conjure the sound of a slightly off-kilter Rolling Stones meeting a chorus that Thunder would be proud of.
The rhythmic and slightly brooding 'Lights Go Out' features call & answer vocals from Rebecca Downes and Steve Birkett on the verses before an emphatic, melodic hook chorus steps up to showcase one of Rebecca Downes’ most impassioned deliveries ("take it away, don’t need your hatred").
The three-and-half minute 'Head Over Heart,' with its quirky little blues riff, carries great airplay potential but the most radio friendly number on the album is unquestionably the melodically blues rockin' rendition of Free’s 'A Little Bit of Love.'
Carrying a little more guitar jangle than the original (and performed a tad quicker), the song's optimistic lyricism and upbeat musicality is just the little bit of love tonic we need for what ails us in an uncertain world.
Also carrying hope ("gotta get me a new foundation, gotta stop me from falling down") is the bluesy, piano & Hammond backed 'Four Leaf Clover' (finding "a rabbit’s foot" and "looking for shooting stars" is also part of the better luck around the next corner deal).
Much as the atmospheric 'Stand On My Feet' was the fulcrum point of More Sinner Than Saint, the dark gospel, bell tolling six-minute blues 'Not On My Knees' stands tall as the keystone piece of The Space Between Us.
'Not On My Knees' is also Rebecca Downes at her most defiant; rising lyrically above the naysayers, critics and those that would bring negativity and hurt, the song delivers in deceptively powerful fashion, bolstered by one of Downes’ strongest and most passionate deliveries to date.
As if to offer lighter musical relief, the album ends with live-in-the-studio number 'Rattle My Cage,' a Rollin’ And Tumblin’ styled mid-tempo blues workout.
It's also sure to be a winner with a live audience, where the song and band will have space to stretch and
ad-lib even further.
With a fine engineering and production job from Steve Birkett (with assistance from Steve Birkett Jnr) and an excellent live sounding mix from Gavin Monaghan (Editors, Scott Matthews, Robert Plant, Paolo Nutini) The Space Between Us is, like More Sinner Than Saint, another excellent multi-hued offering from a highly accomplished, award winning singer.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ