ARTIST: Lou Rhodes
TITLE: Beloved One
LABEL: Infinite Bloom Recordings
GENRE: Trip-Hop
BITRATE: 186kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 46min total
RELEASE DATE: 2006-01-30
RIP DATE: 2006-01-07

Track List

01. Each Moment New                 3:39
02. Tremble                         2:54
03. Treat Her Gently                4:12
04. Fortress                        4:11
05. No Re-run                       3:19
06. Beloved One                     5:43
07. Save Me                         3:20
08. Inlakesh                        3:58
09. To Survive                      4:03
10. Why                            10:50

Release Notes:

Solid solo debut from former Lamb singer and songwriter!

Fans of innovative Manchester, UK, duo Lamb, have long been captivated by Lou
Rhodes’ slinky sensual voice set against the eclectic beats and electronic
programming of that band’s on-board producer Andrew Barlow, but her solo
debut album finds her moving in a much more acoustic, folksy direction.

This new phase in Rhodes’ career began in 2004 when her relationship with the
father of her children ended at the same time as her working relationship
with Barlow. Rhodes and her children left Manchester and moved to the rural
haven of Ridge Farm, Surrey, where she was able to begin re-structuring both
her personal and creative lives.

Recorded back in the first half of 2005, it has taken a while to become
available via Rhodes own newly set-up indie label, Infinite Bloom, but fans
of her voice will find it has been well worth the wait.

In many ways it’s a curiously old-fangled album, one that could have been
made thirty years ago, with a definite 70s singer-songwriter vibe about it
and, in particular, hints of Melanie in her voice in both No Re-run and Save
Me. The simplicity of the arrangements, and the quiet intensity of her
voice, however, recalls the rather more modern stylings of Tracy Chapman.

Treat Her Gently is the first completely satisfying track in the album,
blending sombre cello and viola with delicately rippling acoustic guitar
patterns, and she’s also given room to shine on Inlakesh, where the mesmeric
drum patterns, sinuous bassline and understated guitar parts, form the
perfect setting for her delicate vocal.

Inlakesh, as it happens, is a Mayan word meaning ‘You are the other me’, and
might provide some kind of clue to why the music on this album is such a
radical departure from Rhodes’ earlier work with Lamb. Rhodes seems to be on
a spiritual quest of some sort, with the opening track, Each Moment New,
exhibiting a decidedly Zen world-view. At the other end of the album, the
closing track, Why, finds her digging deep into her own confused psyche,
attempting to understand why she can’t accept the love she is offered
without question.

In between she begs for salvation from her own hurtful inclinations in Save
Me and agonises over the pain of separation in To Survive, so it’s not the
kind of album you’d put on to get a party going. On the other hand, the
elegant virtuosity of her band makes even her most miserable moments
remarkably bearable, so this album would sound great on one of those
evenings when you feel a bit down and might draw comfort from knowing that
someone else has it worse than you.

It’s worth noting that the album became available as a download only from
December 5 2005 on iTunes, Napster, Real Networks, Music Net, Music Now,
MSN music, Hear Music, Sony Connect and Snocap. It won’t hit the shops
until January 30, 2006.