The best way for a singer/songwriter to win me over is with a great piano ballad. I mean one of those tracks with a real, sustained grand piano resonating wide and ethereal throughout the song with its warm and well-rounded sound, gaining my full attention. But by time I first got to “Road That Drives Us,” ‘Behind the Wall’s’ great piano ballad, Vanessa Anne Redd’s debut album as a solo artist had already ,
With an electronic oriented career as a producer with bands like Rubicks and Six Years behind her, the London-based musician turned to analog instruments and equipment for her “simple grunge-folk affair,”crafting ten tracks exploring all the different shades and possibilities of contemporary folk with a perfect balance of textures and arrangements. “Borderland,” with its vigorous acoustic guitar progression and harmonica, touches country and blues sonorities, while “Escape” and the title track “Behind the Wall” are built around dirty electric guitars, the first drawing from the Velvet Underground, the latter mixing its alt-rock vibes with a powerful string session in a dramatic crescendo. Redd’s voice is put in foreground in the closing “Proof,” uphold by brasses creating yet another climax. There’s an amazing naturalness in VAR’s songwriting, a genuine talent in forging sophisticated tunes that are never out of line or trying too hard.
The Fat Angel Sings 