Thea Gilmore Songs From The Gutter CD

Personnel: Thea Gilmore; Justin Richards (vocals); Nigel Stonier, Rod Clements, Robbie McIntosh , Paul Beavis.
Audio Mixers: Justin Richards; Jamie Johnson; Andy MacPherson.
Recording information: Revolution, Cheadle Hulme.
Photographer: Tom Sheehan.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Thea Gilmore; Robbie McIntosh ; Paul Beavis; Rod Clements.
Some people listen to the young Thea Gilmore and swear that they hear a modern Bob Dylan. Rather, listen to the lead track on this, her fifth album, and what you'll hear is arguably even better: Kirsty MacColl at the top of her game. Then move on to the next song, the snarling and roots-rocking "When Did You Get So Safe," and you'll hear more than a faint echo of Richard Thompson at the top of his as well. But ultimately such comparisons are misleading, because just about elsewhere else on this album all you'll hear is a sharp, thoroughly developed and really quite unique voice delivering songs that are personal without being maudlin and rootsy without being in the least derivative. This holds true even when she's covering other people's material, such as Bob Dylan's "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine" (itself a rewrite of the classic protest song "Joe Hill"), Bruce Springsteen's "Cover Me," and the Clash's "I'm Not Down." Elements of techno and electronica are tossed into the rhythmic mix from time to time, but the focus is always on gritty guitars and Gilmore's plainspoken voice, the better to show off lines like "I've learned your body like a nursery rhyme in Braille" and anthemic, meat-and-potatoes rockers like "Heart String Blues." If all of that sounds good to you, then you'll be even more excited to know that this package includes another entire disc of bonus material, songs that were available only on the Internet up until now. The sound quality of both discs is just a bit dodgy at times, but somehow that only adds to the album's gritty charm. Essential. ~ Rick Anderson
British singer/songwriter Thea Gilmore sounds like an edgier, more rock-inflected Beth Orton, and that's certainly not a bad thing, as revealed by SONGS FROM THE GUTTER. With a thick English accent and a penchant for guitar-heavy tunes, Gilmore unveils a set of bittersweet songs that thoughtfully examine love and life, including an atmospheric, Cowboy Junkies-like reading of Bob Dylan's "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine."Dirty Linen (p.62) - "[Her songs] stand up well on their own....It's gritty pop music with an edge..."