Beth Gibbons – Lives Outgrown – Album Review
by Killian Laher

Beth Gibbons’ latest solo release, and first album of original material since 2008, finds her mining a similar autumnal territory to 2002’s Out of Season album.  It opens with Tell Me Who You Are Today, a dark tune with slow, picked guitar, percussion and rumbling strings.  Floating On A Moment is moody and resonant, ghostly backing vocals frame Gibbons’ wonderfully expressive voice.  As we move through the album her vocal becomes more doomed and tortured on the dark folk of the aptly titled Burden of Life, while it blends well with the cinematic, Morricone-esque flourishes on Lost Changes.

The pace quickens on Rewind, with something appropriating a guitar riff., a fully embellished track. it finishes off with snatches of children playing.  Oceans is almost stately with scraping strings, rattling percussion and gentle guitar. There is a sense of distinct unease running through it.  For Sale has an old-fashioned folky guitar motif, with menacing bells in the background.

Later, the foreboding Beyond The Sun has a fair amount of drum work and strings, before the album finishes with the unremittingly sad sounding Whispering Love.  The track is arguably the most gorgeous on the album, with a real sense of finality to it.  There’s a heavy sadness permeating the entire album.  It’s a cliché to say it sounds timeless, but it really does.  Fans of Beth Gibbons won’t be disappointed.

Floating On A Moment