Dawn Dineen “The Ghostly Apple Tree” (Yarner Records 2007)

Forget hypnosis, set your memories to music

A virtual one woman band (with some help on a few songs) Dineen is hard to pigeonhole. Despite recording most of this album in a bedroom there is an almost lush ambience to it with lashings of keyboards, prominent bass and some fine guitar stylings. At times recalling the better end of eighties pop (such as early Matt Johnson) with shades of Suzanne Vega and Juliana Hatfield lurking around, there is a concept of sorts here, an attempt to capture childhood memories and experiences. This is most evident on “Séance” where she uses a recording of herself aged six relating a ghost story set over a fairly anonymous piano led background. However the album also stands up as a collection of songs, and despite at times a lack of soul or emotion in the music (as on the aforementioned song) there are other much more successful and gripping pieces. Essentially when the keyboards give way to guitars, the result is more impressive.

Big Emotion has a distorted guitar riff with sultry vocals crooning over it, Firefly Lights and Coffee Cups is lighter in touch but again has a singular guitar sound. The best is kept for the last song, Sparkler. With a hypnotic modality that is reminiscent of some of David Crosby’s work, a more organic sounding tapestry of guitar, piano and organ enclose Dineen’s vocals which, although good throughout, here reach out with a degree of vulnerability and childlike wonder.

Date review added:  Thursday, October 25, 2007
Reviewer:  Paul Kerr
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Related web link:  artist website