And a Voice Enthralls ... Album Review: Tallulah Rendall - The Banshee And The Moon & EP Review: Forthaven - Lifeline

Posted on the 10 March 2015 by Vanessa Holthausen @NessiHolt

Intriguing vocal charms carry away, take along on a wondrous journey through mystic, melodiously mesmerizing and atmospherically sweeping soundscapes; interwoven they convey opulent and museful imagery that captures with imbuing, dynamically sieging might. At times enticingly whispering, then urgently absorbing and powerful, sound, thruthfully ravishing feel arise, and music comes into being. A cryptically and astonishingly winding art created, pouring out dramatic, poignant storytelling and honest emotion born from an artist's vision, his inspiration, his heart's blood and being, heralded  into the world with a firm, soulfully gripping and inviting voice ...

Tallulah Rendall (photo courtesy by Paris Ackrill) 


Growing up in a music-permeated household, Tallulah Rendall savored devoting herself to the allure of melodic levity, to the charm of compositional finery, to the art of music per se, and soon found that it was the path of artistry she wanted to trace, spellbound by the expressive dimension of music-making, by its creative scope. And whilst the london based singer/songwriter radiates a certain mystic and ethereal feel with her sound, haunting musical fantasia even, she endeavours to complement her compositions with an equally inspiring, evocative visual counterpart. For the release of her first crowd-funded album 'Libellus' (2009), the enticing musician came up with the idea of adding photographs, pieces of prose and paintings to each song composed for her debut - a tradition Tallulah maintained when releasing her second album 'Alive' in 2011. Just as 'Libellus', its follow-up album launched with a hardback book, including images of artworks which have been created in response to the album's songs, and elucidating the background story behind both its artistical collaboration and muscial realization through interviews and making-ofs. 

The Banshee And The Moon (album cover arwork)

'The Banshee And The Moon', however, marks a slightly different approach to Tallulah's publishing practice as the independent multi-instrumentalist (Tallulah plays all instruments on her third crowd-funded album short of the drum parts, which has been laid down by John Blease) chose to make it a more personal affair this time. The artistical additions were not meant to distract from the tonal compositions themselves, rather portray Mrs. Rendall as an artist. And while there is visual accompaniment still (a set of photos shows the singer/songwriter in a dreamy and vivid natural enviroment, each representing one song of the album) 'The Banshee And The Moon' concentrates on Tallulah's musical opus as reflection of her essence as a musician, of her energy as a live performer by creating a strong yet elusive persona: the banshee, an untameable and free woman, as pictured on the atmospheric photography that - among notes on the record's inspiration, funding and making process - is part of the album's hardback book. 



Run Let The River Run (photo courtesy of Ben Heron)


'Run Let The River Run', the opening track of 'The Banshee And The Moon', floats with a blithe melodic briskness accompanied by celestial, hazily fleeting tonal moments of acute and deep instrumental gravity, while bright and alluringly rich vocal charisma flourishes, emits sunny warmth

Canary (photo courtesy of Paris Ackrill)


'Canary' spreads its instrumental wings in a vivifying, vivaciously volatile yet mystical manner, and as a hollow, excitingly vibrant drum pulse - interwoven with enigmatically luminous instrumental echo - reverberates, eccentrically haunting and expressive vocalism raises the listener into the song's aerial and absorbing tonal realm

Pieces (photo courtesy of Serena Bolton)


A dashing and perky melodic theme - depending on vehemently oscillating, tingly riffage and fulminant tonal reverb - determines the compositional pace and force of 'Pieces', it's confident and furious vocal intensity, however, that defines the track's insistent and strong appeal

She Rises Up (photo courtesy of Serena Bolton)


Fragile, stirringly high-pitched vocal melodiousness intensifies, soars radiantly, warmly, whilst vivid and blissful instrumental ease melts softly with mild harmonies: 'She Rises Up' ascents spiritedly within its soundscape, rises up with ambient acoustic vitality and resonantes with naturally enticing compositional calmness hard to elude. 


Shine On (photo courtesy of Akio Fukushima)


Blue and euphoniously opulent piano serenades play along as velvety and soulful vocal yearning, enhanced in emotion through an expressively languorous choir backing, kindle a frail glimmer of hope, hope for love to prevail. The compositional dramatic momentum of 'Shine On', the faint prospect of potential happiness, is audibly depicted by powerfully clangorous percussion accents that imbue the song with an encouraging, even though temporary, buoyancy.

Go My Way (photo courtesy of Paris Ackrill


Atmospheric percussion thunder, brisk guitar play, mellow yet dynamically luring vocal spell lay an explicit compositional line for 'Go My Way' to follow, one that focuses on contagiously captiavting instrumental verve and optimism, that carries the listener easily along.


Hear Me Now (photo courtesy of Ben Heron)


Despite its tenebrous and ethereal feel, 'Hear Me Now' progesses in a turbulent manner and with ponderous rhythm. Powerfully commading and passionately rousing vocals ally with bold, vibrantly explosive instrumentals, impose and thrill profoundly.


The Banshee (photo courtesy of Jim Kroft)


Hypnotically intense and harmonious vocal howls full of spirit, an energetically rhythmic melodic tension evoked by vigorous percussion drive and dramatically accentuated, peppy piano play, unleash 'The Banshee' and project tonal energy as well as exhilarating vitality with emphatic confidence.  


Land Away (photo courtesy of Akio Fukushima)


Whimsical, silken whispers soon merge into movingly rousing vocal ardour when aligning with impulsive, suspenseful percussion gravity and fiercely staggering riffage. Sonorously quivering, the song's dizzy and tense sound takes the listener into a 'Land Away', full of thrilling yet nebulous tonal promise

Trust In Me (photo courtesy of Ben Heron)


Ludically sweeping and apollonian, rhythmically nimble piano melodies bestow cautiously deployed instrumental depth on 'Trust In Me', an emotionally cordial composition in which  melancholic and moony, soulfully longing vocals confide trust in a lover, wish for mutual faith in their relationship and decision making as a couple. 

Eyes (photo courtesy of Akio Fukushima)


Joyous, dulcet harmonies and gently struck, vivid chords spark placid yet briskly exuberant melodic serenity, blithe and shiny vocal bliss makes 'Eyes' blossom in delightful and pleasingly colourful sonority.

Lost In The Moonlight (photo courtesy of Ben Heron)



Serene and breezy melodies light up as a dimly glowing sonic spectrum of elusive and dreamy tonal apppeal unfolds, enriched by buyoant and tensely engrossing chords, governed by tender, strongly mesmerizing vocals and accentuated by light, idyllic vocal whispers. 'Lost In The Moonlight' spellbinds with its smoothly layered compositional profundity, with its bracing instrumental silkiness.
Confident, strong and wild, a muse, a banshee - within her latest musical work Tallulah Rendall, genuine and mysterious, acts as a link between music and artistry, as a centerpiece of an album that has been written and recorded in isolation, that has been realized through performing in british and german living rooms, first and foremost came into being though due a woman's determination and desire to unleash her vibrant, impulsive creative spirit. And whilst said woman's charmingly spirited voice soars, whilst it resonates in rousing and arcane sonic waves, those who listen soon find themselves under the banshee's compelling spell ...
Reach out & listen to Tallulah Rendall on ...
.. twitter ...
.. facebook ..... her official website ..... soundcloud ..... bandcamp ...





Lending his dexterity as bass player to several liverpool bands, including Joe Symes and the Loving Kind, once, Jay Roberts at some point stepped back from playing and began to rather embrace the producing side of music-making by accepting recording requests from different artists as well as by launching his ambitious and over the years acclaimed music project Forthaven. With Emma Rose as permanent vocalist and Alistair Ligerwood on cello the band, led by Jay Roberts as composer (and pianist), calls a blend of ambient, experimental electronic and melodious instrumental music into being. The foursome's recently released 5-track EP 'Lifeline' shows how fascinating and moving such genre fusion can sound. 
A distorted voiceover countdown, seemingly brassy, mixed with fizzy and swiftly swirling synthesized sounds, triggers dreamily echoing yet eccentric cello serenades, briskly pulsating and dynamic, exuberantly rising tonal spirals of stimulant, lively wavering tension. 'Saved' shows jauntily beat-driven and atmospherically rousing melodic complexity that mesmerizes and invites the listener to delve into the vast and vivifying soundscaspes of Forthaven's EP. 

'Reprocitycombines evocative, emotive vocal aura with a buoyant still intense melodic heartbeat, fabricates a haunting instrumental atmosphere and drifts in vivaciously shimmering, sonorously soaring sonic style, destined to appeal to and inspire the listener's aural and visual imagination

The instrumental outline of 'Lifeline' is determined by languorously streaming melodies, soon deepened in pace and ethereal, energetic friskiness, while sensitively frail but expressive vocalism evolves, lures, captivates the listener's senses, only to eventually break their own spell with a fluttery, perkily fading tonal tremor.

Aerial nonetheless incisively hypnotic compositional enchantment emanates from vigorously palpitating beats, gloomy cadences and persistently ludic tonal vim; Emma's breathy, gracefully lugubrious voice further contributes to the dark, unsteady melodic enigma of  'Entity'. 
'Silence' builds up dense, thrillingly absorbing instrumental tension through criptically clangorous, pointedly rattling melodic stimulus, through dreamful piano melodies and sombre, sentimentally yearning cello allure; dramatically wistful and soulful vocals engross the wondrous, harmoniously eclectic composition and allow it to thrive in an opulent fashion.

Reach out & listen to Forthaven on ...

.. twitter ..... facebook ..... on his official website ..... soundcloud ...