Bella Hardy's seventh solo album, With the dawn, is due to be released at the end of March. It's her first album since being named as BBC Radio 2 Folk singer of the year in 2014. For this album she has chosen to make it about a year in her life with all but one song being inspired by her thoughts or events during the year.
As you'd expect from an album based around a year her life, the lyrics to the songs are personal and introspective. These lyrics are brought to life with her beautiful voice, and a range of instruments are used through the album to reflect the mood or sentiments being conveyed in the song. THis album is a perfect example of how different instruments can help make songs convey a different mood, whether its the violin, the banjo, the piano or the horns, each instrument helps add a different feel to the song.
It's not a cheerful uplifting album - it's more chaotic and gloomy with some positive notes, but it's a compelling listen. It's one of those albums that you can listen to again and again and each time notice more details either in the lyrics or the music.
"With the dawn" will be released on 30th March 2015
Track listing:
1. The only thing to do
2. First light of the morning
3. The darkening of the day
4. Jolly good luck to the girl that loves a soldier
5. You don't have to change (but you have to choose)
6. Another whisky song
7. Oh! My god! I miss you
8. Gifts
9. Time wanders on
10. Lullaby for a grieving man
11. And we begin
