Winner of two Mercury Award nominations, three BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and numerous other accolades, Eliza Carthy is easily the most impressive and engaging folk artist of her generation. She has performed and recorded with a diverse array of artists including Paul Weller, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Joan Baez, Nick Cave and Peter Gabriel. And yet, while traditional music is her lifelong love, Eliza had always planned to stay with the songwriting thing she started eight years ago with “Angels & Cigarettes”, her only album for a major label. And a good thing for us that she did. Years in the making, Dreams of Breathing Underwater showcases a much more mature songwriting and performing talent – lyrically, musically and stylistically.
The overall spirit of Dreams of Breathing Underwater is one of coherent diversity. A chamber orchestra, Mariachi brass, grunge guitar, good-time jazz, sensual Eddi Reader harmonies as well as Eliza’s inventive fiddle and earthy vocals provide some of the musical highlights of this highly original album. Early reviews point to Dreams of Breathing Underwater as being the album of the modern folk movement.
★★★★ Mojo Magazine
“It’s a fizz-bang jamboree bag of an album exploding with ideas, unexpected tangents and corking story songs.”
fRoots
“Vocally and lyrically, this is Carthy’s strongest album. Add a beautifully designed CD package ..and you have one of the most startlingly original albums of the past year”
Dirty Linen
“From the ethereal wonder of Lavenders… the experimentation works. The fact that it works is partly due to the musicianship… it can also be put down to Eliza’s magnificent voice – one of the finest you will ever hear. Dreams of Breathing Underwater is a brilliant album that deserves applause. This album shows just why she is one of music’s, and not just folk’s, most important and innovative artists.”
BBC Online
“Her most sophisticated album yet and one destined to win her a whole new set of admirers – the care and invention on display is striking.”
★★★★★ Observer Music Magazine
“The twice-Mercury-nominated singer’s eighth solo album might just be her boldest, most varied, most wild adventure yet. First up is Follow The Dollar which packs a solid rock punch. Rows Of Angels has a hip-hop vibe. Mr Magnifico is a riot of mariachi horns and Lavenders is washed with ravishing contemporary atmospherics. This is the work of a wonderful artist who refuses to stand still.”
★★★★★ The Sun
“It’s effortlessly confident, wildly varied and almost impossible to categorise. Magnificent.”
★★★★ The Guardian
1 Follow The Dollar
2 Two Tears
3 Rows of Angels
4 Rosalie
5 Mr Magnifico
6 Like I Care (Wings)
7 Lavenders
8 Little Bigman
9 Simple Things
10 Hug You Like A Mountain
11 Oranges And Seasalt
Eliza Carthy tenor guitar, ukelele, violin, one-row melodeon, piano, singing
with
Ben Ivitsky singing, rowing, acoustic and electric guitar, noises, Stylaphone, triangle, 5 string viola, viola, cajon/Moog, percussion, trombone
Barnaby Stradling bass guitar
Willy Molleson drums, drumtrak machine, cajon/Moog, vocals
Barney Strachan organetta, singing, drumtrak machine
John Spiers melodeon, singing
Jon Boden violin, concertina, singing, banjo
Conrad Ivitsky double bass, vocals
Donald Hay drums, percussion
Tim Matthew narrator, violin
Toby Shippey trumpet
Martin Green piano accordion, keyboard
Marcus Britton trumpet
Tim Lane trombone
Olivia Furness tenor saxophone
Greg Ivitsky alto saxophone, vocals
Joe Peat bass guitar
Heather MacLeod singing
Eddie Reader singing
Sarah Roberts singing
Emma Smith singing
Robert McFall string arrangements, violin
Claire Sterling violin
Brian Schieles viola
Su-a Lee cello
Tom Lyne double bass
Paul Sartin oboe
Gideon Juckes tuba
Micky Marr bass guitar
David ‘Demus’ Donnelly bass guitar
The Bevvy Sisters – Heather MacLeod, Kaela Rowan and Lindsay Black singing
Available now from:
TOPIC SHOP, AMAZON, ITUNES and on SPOTIFY
