Gemma Hayes Issue #37

The Hollow of Morning (Second Motion)

By Anna Breshears
Published: September 1st, 2008 | 1:21am

Every day the world offers sights and sounds that are undeniably pretty: a rose on the verge of blooming or church bells ringing early Sunday morning, for example. There are moments of less conventional beauty, too: a mother sweeping up a crying child, the pattern of telephone wires against the sky, or catching sight of a blue jay chasing a cat. Gemma Haye’s dreamy, light-as-a-feather pop on The Hollow Of Morning, much like the aforementioned rose, is highly agreeable, yet it fails to venture beyond the commonplace. Her restrained songs follow standard structures with vocals that, while lovely, rarely bare her soul.

Hayes could have chosen no better title for this collection of mellow, atmospheric songs that evoke the blurry, all-too-brief space between last night’s dreams and harsh daylight. On “This Is What You Do,” her hushed voice nudges us awake, whispering, “You never fully leave me / But you never fully stay” alongside cozy, acoustic guitar, and a pitter-patter rhythm. Hayes’ breathy delivery stands out on simpler songs with less production, like the folksy “January 14th” and “Sad ‘Ol Song.” More commercial numbers like “Out Of Your Hands” (which features guitar from My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields), “Home,” and “At Constant Speed” are hardly offensive, but feel overly taught and lack true emotion. Hayes’ comely warbling is delicate and sweet — she’s clearly talented but hardly daring. A great singer-songwriter takes chances and seizes our hearts by sacrificing her own. When Hayes feels comfortable enough to do so, her work will transform from satisfactory to extraordinary.

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