Discussion of the big issues like loss and destitution, remorse and contrition, death and perdition, are usually the realm of the novelist, with plenty of time and space to explore such weighty matters. Yet in five short succinct tales, Amy Correia manages to provoke much to contemplate on said affairs. Her voice with overtones of Nina Simone, Natalie Merchant, and even Dory Previn, is world-weary, jaded, yet still defiant; commensurate to sing of such hefty concerns.
Amy’s literary background holds her in great stead in the short form story ‘Sunday Driver’. On the first line alone, you know this is not going to end happily.
Sunday driver, never arriver.
That’s about as succinct as one can get!
Musically, it’s a neat mix of Country, jazz, and blues. Each chosen style seems to add to the message of the individual song, yet adding to a vibrant tableau of sound. There is an originality at work that is gifted to few singer-songwriters, yet is displayed here over an all too short set.
Perfectly paced, and emotionally satisfying, this is a great offering from a singer who has been recognised as a songwriter of rare talent and has shared stages with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Richard Thompson, and John Hiatt, among many others.
The centrepiece is ‘The Beggar’, an intriguing tale of survival.
My Mind is broken glass, so many changing shapes and colours, and in the sunlight, I squint but I don’t die.
It’s a hugely powerful and emotive piece. When you come across an artist like Amy, it’s difficult not to delve into her back catalogue, and that’s a trip worth making. By her own admission, she is not the most prolific of artists, with only three releases in the past twenty years or so. But what nuggets they contain.
Hopefully, this EP might see a re-examination of this much-underappreciated artist.