It may have taken three years to arrive, yet Ms Hayes’ latest offering was certainly worth the wait. Or so her fans would exclaim. The thing about Hayes is that you really have to stick with her music. It isn’t difficult to listen to, but that rewarding pleasure is not always as evident on a first listen. Perhaps this indicates that there is a lot more going on in her music and it is not all about radio friendly hits.
‘The Hollow Of Morning’ is her third full-length release and catches her in the same form that made her The Roads Don’t Love You album so enjoyable. There is nothing complicated going on to distract you from her sweetly seductive singing, charming backing vocals (provided by Joe Chester), and stripped down instrumentation. Even though Kevin Shields and Paul Noonan help David Odlum out on production, there is no sense of congestion or too much going on. In fact, this is a more mellow affair than was expected from the 30-year-old songstress.
A placid, almost serene atmosphere takes over on tracks like January 14 and Chasing Dragons. This is quite deliberate from Hayes, who says that “silence is an important part of this album, perhaps just as important as any instrument.” This means that she has been careful to give the listener time to digest her heartfelt lyrics and allow each song to have its desired impact. The subtle approach that she has adopted seems quite natural considering how uncomfortable she became with the spotlight that came on her following the success of her debut album. With this record, she has made something that resonates with the listener and shows how much she has matured as a musician.
