Album Review: Sarah Mary Chadwick - The Queen Who Stole The Sky

Sarah Mary Chadwick returns with another LP full of her just-woke-up-going-to-record-this-song vocals. Following on from last year’s fine release, Sugar Still Melts In The Rain, which was recorded with a backing band, The Queen Who Stole The Sky sees her revert back to solo mode.

Opening track Confetti’s domineering church organ is her sole companion throughout an album that features no guitar, drums, bass or happiness. Although it’s a full-length LP, the tracks are clones of one another and it actually sounds like one long song divided into 11 parts. The title track maintains the pain, but as always Chadwick delivers on the whole with her PJ Harvey meets Celeste Barber approach that lacks any shred of self-consciousness or lack of confidence. 

This latest effort will potentially grate on people who thought last year’s release indicated that she had evolved into the regular solo artist with a backing band, but the obvious religious undertones and themes are still interesting and worthy of a proper listen.