The roads don’t love you

The Roads Don’tLove YouGemma Hayesout 31 October« « A lready with one nominationfor the Mercury Music Prizeunder her belt for her lastalbum, Night On My Side, expectationswere high for Gemma Hayes.It’s easy to see why. The MercuryPrize admirably rewards one of thescarcest qualities in popular musicculture. Originality. Nobody candeny that the Mercury judgesdidn’t pull through this year bychoosing Antony and the Johnsons;undoubtedly a distinctive album,with Antony Hegarty’s androgynousvocals and such varied contributorsas Lou Reed, Devendra Banhart,Boy George and Rufus Wainwright.Unfortunately, in spite of variousmerits, originality is not one whichcan be awarded to Gemma Hayes’latest offering The Roads Don’t LoveYou. In a market recently floodedwith the gentle tones and guitar riffsof such singer songwriters as NorahJones and Katie Melua, Hayes’ pieceoffers nothing new.The warning signs are clear fromthe album cover. The horror provokinglytrite Dido-esque photograph ofa pretty, though typically pop-stocklooking blonde set against an out offocus city background is presumablylaying emphasis on the despair andloneliness which only singer-songwritersseem to be profound enoughto feel.But there is an old adage aboutjudging by covers, and it seems truewith the first track on the album,Two Step. It is catchy, and with theartist’s Irish roots making themselvesknown with echoes of the Cardigans,it is the closest she comes to beinginteresting. However, humourouslypoor lyrics turn a smart and sophisticatedsong into a thoughtless popditty.From then on the album blursinto a stream of homogeneous harmonies,and lacklustre lyrics whichprovide no insight whatsoever intoHayes’ claim that her personalityis stronger on this album than herlast one. If this album is an accuraterepresentation of her personality, Iimagine that a Tamagotchi would bemore stimulating company. Having,in her words, lost and refound her“mojo”, a claim that would lead mostto expect a more innovative soundand style, it is alas still nowhere tobe seen.Of course it’s not all completelybad. The Roads Don’t Love Youis in no way offensive; in fact it isperfectly acceptable, even pleasant,background music. It is ideal for essaycrisis management and treatingthe more severe cases of insomnia.But Gemma Hayes contributesnothing to the genre on which sheis styling herself; what she doeshas been done better many timesbefore, and anyone buying thisalbum expecting otherwise will bedisappointed. She is Avril Lavignewithout the humourous adolescentattitude. She is Norah Jones withoutthe soul. She is Eva Cassidy withoutthe spine-tingling voice and inspiringchoice of tracks. She is essentiallyreally rather dull.ARCHIVE: 3rd week MT 2005