Review Xtra – Liz Clarke : Destiny @sings4him

LIZ CLARKE : Destiny.   (www.planktonrecords.co.uk)

Northern Ireland’s Liz Clarke follows up her 2011 release, ‘Path of Dreams’ with this 10 track album. In contrast to her previous album, there’s less emphasis on the contemporary celtic style, and more a leaning to rhythm & blues. Saying that, there’s a definite 70’s progressive rock sound to the opening ‘Driftin’ Sun’. The Robert Burns poem ‘Red Red Rose’ is put to a gentle acoustic guitar backing and on this track, Liz’s vocals are perfect. There’s not any real overtly Christian message in any of the songs, but I thought that ‘My Destiny’ could well have told the story of the search for Christ in one’s life. There’s some nice guitar work from co-songwriter, Paul Mciwaine, on a blues version of George Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’. Here, the vocals soar and wrap themselves lovingly around each word. ‘Burning With the Blues’ gets a mention for being one of the most miserable songs I’ve ever heard, but Liz redeems herself with the wistful, celtic lament ‘She Moved Through the Fair’. I’m not quite sure of the track listing itself because, towards the end of the album, the guitar solo’s of Mcilwaine become rather repetitive and intrusive. On songs like ‘Threw It All Away’ (a 12 bar blues), ‘When You Are Near’ and ‘It Will Be Alright’ the guitar really detracts from Liz’s voice and sometimes sounds alien to the track.. The result is a pity, for me, as the basic love song, that is, ‘When You Are Near’ is a lovely number. However, there’s no getting away from the fact that Liz, herself, has a terrific voice that commands a larger audience.   7/10.