Gemma Hayes - “Feed The Flames”
Dublin, Ireland-based singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes returns to us with her latest, folk-imbued release: “Feed The Flames.”
Hayes last blew our minds back in June, with the raw and sparse “High & Low” and we’ve been waiting for new music ever since. We are pleased to inform you that “Feed The Flames” was worth the wait, as this one starts us off with an enthralling and ethereal synth before giving way to some elaborately finger-plucked sounds from an acoustic guitar. It is here that Hayes begins her remarkably enchanting vocal performance, just as compassionate and breathy as ever.
The verses have a distinctly lo-fi indie-folk feel to them, primarily due to how intimately they have been produced, but the arrangement widens gloriously for the refrain, adding a mesmerizing harmony that saturates every corner of the sonic landscape. Some fantastic and orchestral percussive elements help to populate the sound, allowing “Feed The Flames” to move freely between multiple genres.
To create a wondrous sense of ebb and flow, a distant and sparsely populated dynamic break occurs between the final sets of choruses, utilizing an ostinato that creates a sense of urgency for the climactic elevation. Dreamlike backing vocals soar above the already alluring final melody and it’s no wonder that Hayes’ music has long been sought to provide the soundtracks for film and television.
“Feed The Flames” comes from Hayes’ forthcoming LP– her first in ten years– and judging by the sounds of it and her previous single, “High & Low,” the album is going to be completely epic.
-HD