Rachel Sermanni is a fresh-faced twenty-something Scottish folk singer with an Italian ancestry who brings her delicate songs from the remote Highlands into the congested urban world.
Her full immersion in nature emerges from her videos which are mainly shot outdoors, primarily in wooded greenery.
Added to this are the recurring watery metaphors in her songs that resound with the power of crashing waves or soothe the listener with gentle ripples.
Water also offers a means of escape - "And we'll swim knowing they can't touch us" she sings in Breathe Easy, the opening track. But It can also be more threatening: "Lift me up before I drown", she begs on the album's strongest song, The Fog.
Bones is about the need to be true to yourself and this is a sentiment which is echoed in other songs as she expresses emotions based on personal and/or poetic reflections on love, life and literature.
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Hers is a fragile world where "blossoms bound" (Eggshells), "the sky unfolds (Sea Oh See) and where lightness and optimism trump darkness and depression.
Her pure voice bears a strong similarity to that of Lisa Hannigan and the melodic arrangements for piano and strings strengthen the connection between these two artists.
She has played support spots for Mumford & Sons and writes songs with titles like Marshmallow Unicorn so the spectre of twee folk is never far away but this is a strong, confident debut album with much to recommend it.
Add her name to the never ending list of rising young stars to watch.
Rachel Sermanni's website
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