Hayes, Edwina - Live at the Virtually Acoustic Club
***¾
Beautiful, quite simple love songs with fine singing by the artist most likely to succeed on the London acoustic scene 2001.  A compelling, moving live performer.
Released - 2001
Acquired by me: 18.7.01 - Present (Edwina)

Hayes, Edwina – Out On My Own
****
During much of the 90s and early noughties, I played on-and-off on the London acoustic circuit.  Of all the artists I came across over the years, I always felt that Edwina Hayes was the one most likely to make it.  With her beautiful voice, simple yet well constructed songs, goodish looks and bubbly yet determined personality, all those who saw her live were moved by her talent and charm.  This must have included someone at Radar, subsidiary of Warners, for here we are with Out On My Own, Edwina’s debut album.
Out On My Own includes songs I heard Edwina play solo in tiny clubs just three years ago such as the beautiful I Want Your Love and Won Me Over as well as more recent (mostly) co-compositions, one of the best of which is I Can’t Believe.  The acoustic backing to these slightly country-ish ballads is provided by a cream of famous sessioners including Clive Gregson, Christine Collister and Kate St. John.  Although the playing and arrangements are very professional and slick, I wonder if Edwina would have preferred to play her own guitar and be backed by her inner circles of friends in London and Nashville a la Norah Jones.  Good as the album is, the intimacy of the Edwina Hayes live experience isn’t really captured here.
Out On My Own is a good album by a superb singer and consistent songwriter.  Well worth buying if you like polished acoustic torch songs though even better, go and see Edwina live as well.  There she will certainly win you over…
Released:  2004
Acquired by me:  6.05 (Purchased)

Hayes, Edwina – Pour Me A Drink
****1/2
With her beautiful, heartfelt singing, excellent songs and effusive personality, Edwina Hayes was always one of the artists most likely to make it from the London acoustic scene in the early noughties.  After playing frequently in London, around the UK and in Nashville, Edwina was eventually signed by Warner Brothers with whom she released her debut album Out On My Own in 2004.  Although OOMO contains some excellent songs, the intimacy of the Edwina Hayes live experience was rather lost with the slick arrangements provided by a band of well-known session musicians.
Much truer to Edwina’s live solo sound is her new second LP Pour Me A Drink which features just her guitar and vocals with the only other musicians present being Jake McKaegue on acoustic lead on two songs and Carissa Broadwater on backing vocals on one.  Pour Me A Drink is an excellent album with the sparse arrangements bringing Edwina’s superb, moving singing and bright finger-picking guitar style to the fore.  Also impressive are the strong melodies and structures to the songs, many featuring bridges in a style somewhere between folk and quality country music.
Edwina’s main lyrical theme is love, often of the unrequited kind.  Among the best songs of the heart on Pour Me A Drink are Season Of Love, Run and Leave A Light On For You.  Moving on to other subject matter, the title track is another instantly memorable highpoint with its tale of a life of regrets.
All of the songs on PMAD are written or co-written by Edwina apart from covers of tunes by Richard Thompson (Waltzing’s For Dreamers) and Randy Newman (Feels Like Home) as well as the traditional Froggie Went A Courting.  These covers fit seamlessly on this stark yet warm LP on which Edwina’s beautiful voice will undoubtedly get the most accolades though her guitar playing and considerable compositional craft should not be overlooked.
Without the weight (in both senses of the word) of a major record company behind her, Edwina Hayes has produced a superior album, which is closer to her true live sound than her debut LP.  Pour Me A Drink is recommended to anyone who likes quality singer-songwriters though if you get the chance, try to also see Edwina live where her warm-hearted and often humorous banter adds a further dimension to an already excellent performance.
Released:  2008
Acquired by me:  4.5.08 – Edwina (at a gig)

Hollis, Mark - Mark Hollis
***
Solo album by the former Talk Talk mainman. Great piercing punctuations of harmonica and a few other good moments but its often dreary, unmelodic and a little pretentious.
Released - 1999 ?
Acquired by me: 30.10.00 - Borrowed (Library)