{"id":39890,"date":"2018-08-30T18:07:43","date_gmt":"2018-08-30T17:07:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=39890"},"modified":"2018-08-30T18:21:54","modified_gmt":"2018-08-30T17:21:54","slug":"clare-bowens-eponymous-debut-album-reminds-us-to-always-remember-where-we-come-from","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2018\/08\/clare-bowens-eponymous-debut-album-reminds-us-to-always-remember-where-we-come-from\/","title":{"rendered":"Clare Bowen’s Eponymous Debut Album Reminds Us To Always Remember Where We Come From"},"content":{"rendered":"

I didn’t expect to be quite so moved by Clare Bowen’s self-titled debut album, but I’ve been sitting here blubbing like a baby.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

It’s not even as if there’s anything that is particularly sad about the album: but there’s a lot of shared experiences in her songs, even discounting track two, ‘Doors & Corridors’, which even namechecks her hometown of Stanwell Park, one which is known well to me having grown up in the same district. The song is particularly poignant as she sings about how, if she could change a thing, she wouldn’t.<\/p>\n

The entire album is a finely crafted masterpiece, and so far as debuts go, there’ll not be many to better it. The storytelling and vocals call to mind those of Dolly Parton; the aforementioned ‘Doors & Corridors’, as well as track 4, ‘Aves’ Song’, have it. Even the more “pop” style song, ‘Lullabye’, number 6 on the 11 track album, feels as though Dolly could easily make it her own. We’d love to hear a duet between Clare and Dolly, and hope that Ms Parton hears the same influences we do.<\/p>\n

‘Sweet William’ makes us think of the folk songs I grew up learning at school – storytelling lyrics, set to a simple acoustic guitar instrumental, Clare’s voice is pure and clear as she recounts the tale of a girl whose lover has drowned at sea.<\/p>\n