Our postie came this morning and delivered something that I had been waiting for a long time. Finally, I have my hands on the latest release from York songstress, Rachel Croft. The EP is entitled ‘Reap What You Sow’ and is a showcase of her song writing during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is something of a departure from her earlier folk based offerings but it is a genuinely inspired new direction. In my mind it compares to the moment when Bob Dylan went electric, the song writing was still the same but with a harder edge and a stronger emotional connection.
The EP which contains five new songs, is beautifully presented in a triple gatefold sleeve, complete with a separate lyric booklet. The first impression is that no expense has been spared to provide the listener with something that is a quality product. The monochrome acsetic of the artwork is beautifully in keeping with the fierce quality of the lyrics that are reflective of Rachel’s experience during the past 18 months.
The EP opens with magnificently brooding the title track ‘Reap What You Sow’ which is built on a repetitive ground from the guitar, bass and drums. Above that Rachel’s voice moves from a menacing whisper to scream of rage. This variation of both pace and volume add greatly to the impact of the lyric. The opening line ‘You’re a bitter little man…’ drips with scorn and by the final acapella ‘Now you’re gonna reap what you sow.’ her disdain is complete.
There is a dramatic music video on YouTube which accompanies the song and Rachel has been kind enough to share a ‘Behind the Scenes’ video to enable her fans to enjoy the process by which the magic was created. Rachel describes the event “…back in April we went out to the North York Moors (freezing) and began work on this video. I wanted to have more people involved this time, not just 100% pictures of my face so we roped in two amazing dancers, Ellen and Kris, and a choreographer called Vikki, and a BTS video man named Oscar, and it was all very cool! I spent a good few hours attacking the flags I made myself with sandpaper to make them weathered.” I think that it was well worth effort as the end result shows.
The second track ‘Roots’ is evocative of the old gospel song “Wade in the Water”, which Rachel interestingly subverts to suggest that the sins of those who wade might be so great as to cause them to be dragged away. After an initial opening the song picks up pace and the full instrumentation begins to unfold. The chorus gathers speed and volume, giving way to some rock stylings until it fades away, leaving the listener wanting more.
The track three “Chasing Time” is the longest on the EP and I think was the first of this selection to be composed. It is a slow plaintive ballad redolent of the emotions generated by the experience of lockdown. The reference to ‘living on an electric screen’ sums up the sense of loss that the lack of opportunities for live performance, musicians like Rachel must have felt. They were indeed being left behind.
Track four “Time Waits for No Man” carries with it what for me is the most memorable line of all the songs on the EP. ‘Time waits for no man, good thing I am a woman’. Wonderfully tongue in cheek. The song opens with Rachel’s shock at not recognising herself in the bathroom mirror but resolves itself with her taking up her positive mantra – ‘good thing I am a woman’ and stepping out into the future.
The final track “Dead Horse” although it is the shortest it is also a full-on rock song with which to finish the EP and thus the transformation is complete. The acoustic guitar has been replaced by a Fender electric and she is now fully integrated in the band with which created this music.
Rachel describes the EP as reflecting ‘the passing of a storm’ and in truth she is right. This storm has moved Rachel from the gentle ethereal folk of her ‘Hours Awake’ album to something edgier and tinged with rock, which is far more in keeping with our experience of life in 2021. The EP marks a triumphant step forward into the new and I can highly commend it to you. The logo of the bird in flight suggests that you will keep flying courageously. Congratulations.
