Amy Kendall - Hot Stars in a Cold Sky (Album)
It may just be me, but it appears Australia is now beginning to produce a multitude folk-driven solo artists. In particular, a number of these are hugely talented women picking up a guitar and/or getting behind the piano and belting out a tune while regaling us with tales of lost love and fateful encounters. One such artist that I speak of is the Amy Kendall with her incendiary EP Hot Stars On a Cold Night.
Amy definitely fits in with the now well established group of female performers who all possess that mature life perspective that almost spurs them on to create such creatively rich music. It’s a tough market to be apart of at the moment. Given that the Australian music scene is bursting at the seams with potential good old fashioned country sweet-heart songstresses, the task of rising to the top of this already talented crop of lovely lass’s is made that little bit more difficult. Much like the precocious Daniel Kowalski trying to establish his presence in the Australian Olympic Swimming team ruled Kieran Perkins, Amy Kendall in a less competitive domain, is nevertheless surrounded by a well established and adored group of contemporaries. Having grown up in New South Wales, Amy now resides in Hobart, which you would have to say has had an impact on her songwriting, given her environmentally themed musical journey.
You only need a quick look over her lyrics to understand the enormity of influence Amy’s environment has on her. She has an uncompromising lyrical command with a vocal intonation that effortlessly blends with her sultry finger-picking on the guitar. At times her voice is so delicately glazed over the top of whatever happens to be playing underneath, that at times both voice and instrument blend so seamlessly. It’s hard to determine where one ends and the other begins. Second Story exquisitely shows us what can be done with a mandolin. The backing harmonies are velvet-like, while the glockenspiel provides childish-innocent charm. Gravity deals with the raw emotion driven time brought about by death, while Paper Moon recounts the often extreme lengths one will to bring about happiness for their loved ones. Yet, it isn’t until Fireflies that Amy’s talent really begins to unfold. While the beautiful lyrics are once again heavily based upon her undeniably strong familial and environmental connections, it’s with the assistance of the delicately framed accompaniment of the steel-string guitar, humble bass and the omni-present piano that the song really hits its stride.
While Hot Stars On a Cold Night is poised to make quite an impression amongst the Australian and offshore audience, the big test will be to see if Amy Kendall can back-up this solid effort with her future work. I suppose only time will tell. Until then, however, we can be content with this promising young songstress. Hot Stars in a Cold Sky was recorded over six months in Hobart studios Huon Delta Studios and the red room, with producer Andrew Smyth at the controls. From the rejoicing of love in Second Storey, the soul searching of ‘Green Lights’ and dealing with grief in Gravity, Hot Stars is a stellar collection of songs that is bound to steal the hearts of listeners. Heartfelt songs. Gentle harmonies. Raw, unabashed honesty. Hobart singer/songwriter Amy Kendall will soothe your soul with her angelic voice, floating guitar melodies and insightful 'storytelling' lyrical style.
Hailing from a small town in NSW, Amy began writing and performing her own songs at the age of 13. With influences ranging from Sarah McLachlan, The Waifs, Clare Bowditch, Edie Brickell and Joni Mitchell, Amy has carved her own unique style from a blend of folk, roots and pop music.The rich stories which infuse Amy's heartfelt lyrics with such life and beauty have always been influenced by the natural environment. Whether it be a crisp, starry night or a gentle breeze on sunset, these inspirations - coupled with Amy's unique insights into life, love and relationships - set the scene for many of her songs, and often lead to entertaining between-song conversation in her live sets.
With her debut EP Hot Stars in a Cold Sky released in November 2008, to a lovely crowd at the Alley Cat Bar, Amy's musical future is looking bright, and, with plans for an extensive interstate promotional tour, she is sure to continue capturing the hearts of music loving audiences everywhere.
