Music Review: Beth Rowley - Little Dreamer

As soon as a promising white, blues-tinged, female soul singer arrives on the scene, it tends to ignite the inevitable comparisons to the likes of the legendary Dusty Springfield, amongst others. That, of course, is a huge legacy for any aspiring young singer to carry around. One of those who, along with Dusty -- and Amy Winehouse, for example -- has attracted such comparison is Beth Rowley.

Does Rowley's album, Little Dreamer, live up to these weighty claims?

Beth was born in 1981 to British missionary parents who were, at that time, living in Lima, Peru. Her father inspired her by playing guitar along with his collection of Woody Guthrie vinyl. On their return to England she spent most of her childhood in Bristol. She later studied at Brighton’s Institute of Modern Music before beginning to get active on the local gigging scene.

As a teenager she provided backing vocals for Ronan Keating. Earlier this year she wrote and recorded a song for the film The Edge Of Love, starring Keira Knightley. Her forthcoming studio album was eagerly anticipated, and in October 2008 Little Dreamer appeared.

The album is beautifully lo-fi, radiating a warm glow of late night atmosphere amid some softly seductive vintage performances. There is a nicely honed balance of soul, pop, and blues, alongside touches of jazz. For one brought up in the way that she was, it is little surprise there are some well delivered gospel songs included in the mix as well.

Beth Rowley’s live performances are attracting a good deal of attention. She clearly has a strong stage presence and her voice can light up even the dullest of audiences. In the studio she loses little of those qualities delivering an impressive set of satisfying songs that showcase her remarkable vocal talent.

A highlight for me is her version of “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”, which is worth the CD’s price alone. Coolly delivered, it has Beth on simply exquisite form. Also included are high quality covers of Willie Nelson’s “Angels Flying Too Close” and a reggae-based version of Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released”.

Article Author: Jeff Perkins

Jeff is a writer who lives in France. He writes CD/DVD box sets, music reviews and has had a book published about David Byron of Uriah Heep. He is 'busy' exploring the music of Europe with his wife Debbie and dog Dylan. It's Dylan that does the writing of course. …

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