With its sweeping piano lines and jazzy bass, ‘Gry Maritha’ – the opening track from Kelsey Michael’s debut long player ‘Lethowsow’ – channels material from Joni Mitchell’s ‘Court & Spark’ and ‘Hissing of Summer Lawns’ period, but with the help of a swooning melody and vocal choir, it quickly takes on more of its own identity. Michael’s rich vocal joins a really great sounding tune, and although her voice is used very much carries the melody (as you’d expect), it never dominates the track as a whole. The song’s middle section gives way to some brilliant harp work capturing a dream-like quality, and an unexpected coda finds the band launching into a jazzier groove where the piano and bass come together in a way sounds like a welcome throwback to a McCoy Tyner recording. It’s at this point the listener could become aware of experiencing something rather special.

That’s a superb manner in which to begin – a rather grand introduction to Kelsey’s musical world – but the rest of the album offers almost as much of an aural treat. Moving into a world of easy jazz tones, ‘Music of The Waves’ finds her working a subtle electric piano and soft, flowing vocal that really evokes Stevie Wonder deep cuts from the mid 70s. The melody isn’t exactly immediate, but is wonderfully layered. Between a few harmony vocals and an almost warm feeling of introspection, it slowly pulls in the listener, and then takes a subtle shift into melodic vocal-led moments that owe a little more to Judee Sill’s ‘Heart Food’. The greatest thing of all is how, when this number attempts to shift out of the gentle malaise it initially conveys, there’s a sense of something other-worldly. It’s so steeped in classic sounds and aural subtleties, it’s actually impossible to tell when it was recorded.

Taking a more chipper tone, the bouncing basslines and stabbed piano lines that drive ‘Mounts Bay Morning’ tip the hat to AM radio fare from yesteryear, with a strong Carole King influence. This upbeat manner feels like just as much a natural fit for Michael’s voice, and she fills the three minutes with a breezy, yet understated performance that’s one of the album’s best, before ‘Tide Comes In’ teases the listener with a slow groove driven by upright bass and snare drum. It’s great to hear yet another side to Kelsey’s jazz based influences, and against a very natural voice, everything works very effectively. Despite being on the “pop” side of the jazz spectrum, it’s possible to imagine this reworked in a much more frenetic way, such is the prominent bassline. Sounding like a successor to the trip-hop scene, this fusion of styles really captures the songwriter’s sense of character.

With ‘The Crossing’ offering a brief piece of ambient/drone, there’s a moment for further reflection, and the subtle mood isn’t lost once ‘Swimming’ arrives. It’s another minimalist piece, this time working fractured piano motifs beneath a smooth vocal. Going deeper into a world of self, the arrangement gives Michael very little to hide behind, and even when a jazz bass arrives to fill a little extra space, this continues to sound like the product of a club performance in the smallest of small hours. Some exquisite harp work lends itself perfectly to the dream-like state during the second half of the track, then, just as things are getting interesting, everything fades into silence. A somewhat disappointing premature finish doesn’t stop this being one the best tracks, however; the perfection with which the arrangement has been put together shows Kelsey Michael in a position of strength and as a talent to watch out for. By comparison, ‘Washing Line’ feels a little more like traditional 70s inflected singer-songwriter fare, but as with the rest of ‘Lethowsow’, the subtle musical layers make a familiar sounding performance really interesting. There’s more upright bass work lending a warmth; a layer of keys placing a wavering sound over subtle piano, and a world of vocals leaning towards easy adult-oriented pop. And those vocals allow the number to really shine: the occasional appearance of a wall of harmonies offers something smart; Michael’s lead has both a soft, inviting quality and a high toned epic feel – depending on what’s required – and together, they give another mellow arrangement more of a thoughtful feel.

You might know Kelsey from her previous work with The High Llamas, but this wholly collaborative affair between a great band and strong vocalist is in a whole different league. It’s also a reminder that mature sounding singer songwriter works – even if personal or confessional – needn’t be predictable, ‘Lethowsow’ is constantly rich with variation, and strangely beautiful in its own way. At just over twenty six minutes, it’s an album that’s over far too soon, but is a highly recommended listen.

January 2025