Since I first heard the single ‘Consolations’ in 2021 I have been captivated by Clara Mann’s music so it’s great news that after a few singles, EPs and live sessions we now have a debut album where Mann can demonstrate the depth and delicacy of her music across ten songs.
Rift is as perfect as an album can get. It’s refreshing that rather than pull out all the stops for the first full album by bringing in a full band, the London Philharmonic and a laser show, Clara Mann has kept the perfect intimacy of her music intact and, with the gentle rotation of her guitar and piano playing, it gives the feeling that these songs are being performed for an audience of one. The beautiful inconsistency of each song’s recording style demonstrates to me that the artist treats every piece as its own world, allowing it to have its own personality.
You will hear room sound, the creak of a piano stool, the merest of breaths at the start or end of a song, or with ‘Doubled Over’ the feeling it has been recorded under bed covers with all the warmth that evokes. Any added accompaniment is more often atmospheric like the string sound on ‘It Only Hurts’, the barely there drums on tracks like ‘Til I Come Around’, ‘ Driving Home The Long Way’, and ‘Remember Me (Train Song)’, the light wash of synth, the occasional kiss of harmonies or the background pluck of a banjo. The sensitive placement and ‘live’ impression of every sound is remarkable considering most of the album was recorded at 4AD studios in London apart from ‘It Only Hurts’, and ‘Rift’ recorded in friend Tom Kellet’s living room studio in just one afternoon. Rift is held together by the same brilliance you will find in the more unadorned work of Nick Drake, Dolly Parton, Joni Mitchell or Vashti Bunion.
Her voice is often tremulous but never weak, and it feels like she uses the gift of her voice to search for, and bring out, the emotional truth of the words. The sheer beauty of Mann’s voice is a mix of contemplation combined with a strength of purpose. Nothing is diluted, and that concentration of elements is the key to this being so strong at its core. Mann weaves together themes of love lost and found, the waxing and waning of pain, and “the fractures and ruptures that define our lives” into a patchwork of emotions that stand up to many listens without threatening to break the thread.
With Rift it’s as if we have moved from the early VHS releases to 4K and now get to appreciate the minutiae of what goes into Clara Mann’s music. I was convinced in 2021 that she would have an extraordinary career ahead of her and would gain praise from fans and artists alike, and it’s great to see this come to pass. Maybe book the London Philharmonic and a laser show for the next release.
Clara Mann socials: Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp
Review by Paul F Cook
Previous Clara Mann reviews on Joyzine here.
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