Album Review: Grace Cummings, Storm Queen

More than two years after the release of Grace Cummings’ ecstatically-received debut album, Refuge Cove, one of the most distinctive Australian voices of her generation is back – with more confidence in her artistry than ever.

Her new self-produced LP, Storm Queen, builds on the stripped-back foundations of her first record, which centred largely around the strength of her voice. This time around, she’s not afraid to add an even darker complexity to her songs. Rather than serving as decorative accompaniment, the eclectic sounds of the fiddle, theremin and saxophone (most notably on the title track) speak out on their own terms, boldly expanding the boundaries of an already gripping project.

Although fiercely original, Storm Queen finds Cummings wielding an intensely raw power similar to that which flows through the work of Joan Baez, Nina Simone and even Katell Keineg, as well as the more recent output of Anna B Savage. There’s also nods to the more folk-inspired moments of ‘70s rock, particularly the sounds of Led Zeppelin, on album highlights ‘Raglan’ and ‘Heaven’.

Emotions are excavated completely, rather than restrained, or tied up neatly, which means Storm Queen is far from easy background listening. But even at its most heavy, rough and occasionally repetitive, there’s a therapeutic pulse that carries throughout the project. This ultimately leads us to ‘Flying a Kite’, which draws the tempestuous journey to a surprisingly cathartic close – with one long, final exhalation.

8/10