Music : Dreams of Breathing Underwater

Rating: - This is what she's been building towards
Brilliant, witty, rude, anarchic, multi-styled, multi-layered !
Eliza Carthy produces a career-highlight album
Styles and boundaries are blown aside in a magical display of contemporary (Hard to categorise as 'Folk') music
Musicianship throughout is superb from all participants and lyrics are at once thought-provoking and amusing
'Oranges and Sea-salt' is a classic
This album puts Eliza right up there with Richard Thompson as one of our national treasures !

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Rating: - Something a bit different
Now, this is a difficult album to recommend. Ultimately all reviews are redundant as it comes down to personal taste at the end of the day. If you're a fan of Eliza's material across the board then it's a fair bet that this is for you as it outshines all of her previous self-written, less folky material. She's learned her craft well and this is a very polished collection of songs, made even more impressive by her restrained vocals and sharp wit. If you're after traditional arrangements/songs then you won't find them here. If you are strictly a fan of Eliza's folk music, then this isn't probably for you either. As one reviewer has said, you can't compare this album to anything else. Each track is as different as the last and so to even brand the album as a whole would be a waste of time. You could say certain tracks are done in a certain style, Oranges & Seasalt being big band(ish). The nearest comparison I can think of as a whole is the way in which Bellowhead have taken folk music and done something very bold and loud and clever with an off-beat approach. Spiers and Boden even make their now obligatory appearances on Dreams. I was also slightly reminded of Voltaire for the same reasons. Dreams is not trad or even folk as such, but a collection of very from-left-field and catchy tunes. I'm not a particular fan of Eliza's more contemporary offerings and the trad arr heavy Rough Music is one of my all-time favourite albums, so I had this album on order just because it's Eliza and wasn't expecting much from this outing. I was wrong. The first track is my least favourite and so things didn't bode well on first play what with my preconceptions and it's also one of those albums that catches you out, so a few listens are needed to get comfortable with it. But if and when it clicks it is undoubtedly one of the most catchy, original and clever albums you'll hear in a long while. Mr Magnifico, for example, is the kind of thing that would normally have me cringing and scrambling for the skip track button, but somehow it works. Personal favourites are Little Bigman and Oranges & Seasalt. Love it or hate it, to sum up the album in one punch would have to be "Clever and Catchy." The one draw back with traditional music is that it can be dull, a long and rambling story with hardly a tune, and deep down we all like a catchy tune. By writing her own material Eliza has delivered an album that pays it's dues to the folk music community, pushes the boundaries of... well music in general, which is no mean feat these days, and wins through by being infectiously catchy and will have you whistling one song or another at all times of the day and night. On the back of this album I bought tickets for the tour and, as always with Eliza, it is guaranteed to be a good night out.

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Rating: - Magical and touching music
This is modern British folk with a specifically English twist - not eccentric but gloriously idiosyncratic. It is personal without being maudlin, melodious but never mawkish. And yet there is something touching about it that is close to poetic. Bracing, timeless stuff.

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Rating: - Different, Varied and Great Fun
Having thoroughly enjoyed her more traditional previous album Rough Music, and following the recent Channel 5 documentary on Eliza, I had expected something in a similar vein. However, this is very different. It follows in the trail of her previous self-written album (the underrated Angels & Cigarettes) and infuses her folk leanings with an unexpected variety of instruments and styles. What comes through on every song is the strength of the song writing, the vividly drawn characters and the wonderful narratives. All delivered in Eliza's beautiful and expressive singing style. It's an album that rewards repeated listens and leaves you feeling uplifted on every occasion. Incidentally, if you ever get the chance to see Eliza live, don't miss out as it's a wonderful evening in the company of a very talented and engaging person.

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Rating: - Hmm...this is great "????" music
What should I put for the "????" bit. Not sure is matters, but it isn't pure folk music,(whatever that is). I won't dissect tracks here as there is so much variety. Instead I will state why it ticks boxes for me. Great music should have quality whatever the genre, sometimes with invention, but certainly it should either move me or excite me. Liza's latest does all these things. She really is ploughing her own furrow these days, and with great success.
Will punters like it ? As it doesn't sound like anyone else it's hard to tell. However, for past Liza fans I would say if you were happy with Red Rice, or the much maligned Angels and Cigarettes,(which I actually thought was a superb diversion), then I reckon this will work for you.
In summary - one of the great albums of recent times irrespective of genre, deserving of 6 stars for imagination,(and unlike some other reinventers not losing the plot). She is a national treasure,(bet she would hate that description), who continues to surprise and delight in equal measure.