Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
The clouds and storms of late have been moody, mean, and arguably fierce beyond compare, they have blocked our collective sight from seeing the land of safety and creativity from the air; and all we have been able to witness is the constant tsunami as it circles the world with terrifying speed.
Flying On Instruments alone does not always mean we have navigated from above with a greater precision than those who steer ships through the storm, but it can often be the truth that those that do might get to see and feel the warmth of the sun earlier and the land of opportunity and redemption with greater clarity.
It takes fortitude and spirit to fly the vessel which leads you to a place of breathtaking beauty, of being one with a voice that serenades with calmness that beguiles, and in the case of the pilot at the controls, there is a woman to whom upon returning to her roots, finds the peace required to set the storms we have been through, aside.
Americana’s Vanessa Peters glides where others force their dramas, the sound of positive introspection looms large as the windscreen buffets the natural winds away from our eyes and allows the listener to focus on the tempting and seductive feel of the established and powerful persona, and in Flying On Instruments that is an alluring and productive stand to emerge fully formed within.
Across songs and delivery of ballad such as Halfway Through, Blind Curves, the excellent Pinball Heart, Hey Claire, and the sheer fortune of Wasted Days, hope is placed in its rightful place, as a guide, as a clear indicator that though we have walked through the darkest of storms, occasionally we find a way to soar and attain freedom, to look to the navigator and learn from their truth and faith in the machine they took to the skies in with confidence.
A wonderfully expressive album from Vanessa Peters, a belief that we can find hope on the map no matter what means or mechanisms we have at our disposal.
Vanessa Peters releases Flying On Instruments on February 23rd on Idol Records.
Ian D. Hall