Carla Fuchs: Songbird (2023)

This is quite an extraordinary release, both in terms of its quality but also how it came about. Back in 2010 when Phil Lloyd Smee was designing artwork for the ‘Complete Sandy Denny Box Set’ he came across some notebooks of Sandy’s which contained lyrics, some full and some part, many of which had not previously been put to music. Two, “Sixpence” and “Georgia” had been put to music and featured on a 2011 album by Thea Gilmore, but that was all. Fast forward a few years and Carla sent Sandy’s daughter, Georgia, a copy of her song “Songbird”, which was about Sandy. Georgia had been wondering about what to do with the lyrics so suggested to Carla that she might like to use them? The result is a set of 10 songs where Carla has taken the lyrics and put them to music (including the two already used songs, with new music), plus Carla’s own “Songbird” which started the project off in the first place.

For the most part this is Carla performing as Sandy often did herself, just sat at a piano singing, with additional instruments added when the time is right. I was surprised at just how much this reminded me in many ways of the amazing Talis Kimberly whose ‘Archetype Café’ seemed to be continually on my player at one point. Carla’s vocals are clear, yet emotional, and her piano playing is strong yet delicate. This feels much more than just another tribute, it is about bringing the words of one of our most acclaimed singers back to life and taking them from old notebooks and bringing them into the public arena where they live again as they were always meant to do. It is thanks to albums like this that I continue to write year after year, as if it were not for being a known reviewer, I would never have come across this and my musical life is richer for having heard it. One can only wonder what Georgia felt like when she heard this album for the first time, but I can imagine it was truly emotional as Carla has paid a deep respect to her mother, and it is clearly heard in everything she sings.

This is an incredible album, one which should be in the home of music lovers everywhere.

Rating: 10/10