(Prog Rock, Celtic, Folk) Lisa Cuthbert - Obstacles - 2010, MP3, 192 kbps

The debut album from Dublin-born singer-songwriter Lisa Cuthbert. Not your usual ‘progressive’ artist but she is reasonably well-known in prog circles for her appearances with Anathema-related projects Antimatter and Ion.
Obstacles contains ten self-penned tracks plus a bonus live rendition of Anathema's Fragile Dreams.
Too many singer songwriters find a groove and stick within it. As a result I tend to find that a whole album of material becomes repetitive. Lisa utilises a subtle but constant change of mood and pace across the album that maintains my interest. There is a nod towards Kate Bush, another towards Tori Amos. The atmospheric stylings of Antimatter are a reference point. Certain songs remind me of the recent acoustic offerings from Anathema. If you have a tendency towards female singer songwriters then you can probably pick up a whole load of other influences.
Sometimes, such as the opening of Blind Eye or Second Leaving, just the power of Lisa's voice and piano is enough to captivate. However a full band, including Antimatter’s Mick Moss on bass, is available to develop the musical context. This works superbly on the almost rock-pop vibe of My Material Girl.
The occasional addition of Moss’ vocals adds another effective texture, as do Lisa’s own sparingly-used vocal harmonies. The use of cello and the production gives a lovely warmth to the sound, superbly offsetting the darker tone and lyrical themes. This album is packed with such delicate details. It remains the sort of album where a song is far more likely to have a piano solo than a guitar solo.
Only two songs drop short of perfection. I find the title track rather too simplistic with a keyboard sound that doesn’t work for me. The melodies of Burden haven’t been as addictive as elsewhere.
However from the first listen, Obstacles has become a constant companion. The haunting Cherry Blossom, the bouncy My Material Girl and the dramatic Storm Coming On is the best quarter of an hour of music I've heard all year. The profoundly emotional melodies hide an ease, confidence, depth and fluidity to Lisa’s songwriting that should ensure a long and bright future. Her voice is just beautiful.
Anyway enough gushing. The digipack album has been released on Music In Stone, the independent record label owned by Mick Moss. A follow-up to is scheduled to be released in autumn 2012.
In the meantime, Obstacles shows Lisa Cuthbert as a simply amazing singer and a huge songwriting talent. This may not fall into a pure Prog Rock category but I’d challenge anyone who enjoys great singer songwriters not to enjoy this album.