Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Ok, just so you know, it's pronounced "Lah Nay" and I have no idea why it has an apostrophe at the end except to guess that it's an abbreviation of a longer name! The first thing that strikes you about Lanae' Hale, apart from her unique first name, is the unusual quality of her voice which contains within its repertoire of inflections what can best be described as a plaintive yodel. If that conjures up uncomfortable pictures of lederhosen-clad chaps from the Alps fear not. Although Lanae's vocal gymnastics are a bit of a Marmite thing (love it or hate it), they give her self-composed songs a unique aura. The six songs on this, Lanae's debut, also reveal an acoustic pop artist who is a literate and honest lyricist. The good thing about the EP is that she hasn't been drowned out by a pile of technology and Lanae' and her songs have been allowed to breathe which can only be a good thing. This is an effective calling card so "Love Is Worth The Fight" is jaunty folk-pop where Lanae' gets to let loose here and there. "Alive Again" is a real gem while "Start Again" has become a turntable hit on Cross Rhythms radio even though this delightful debut hasn't received a UK release. The plaintive "Stay" slows down the pace but turns up the emotion and the EP closes on a more downbeat note with "Quiet Place". In a market where there are plenty of female singer/songwriters, Lanae' Hale has that extra special something that makes me long for that full length release which hopefully will follow soon.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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