Beautysleep

Since it split into a myriad of parts, the output of the Boston Pixies/Throwing Muses axis has been decidedly mixed affair, none of which has set the world alight in the way that those two bands managed. Like Black, Deal and Hersch, Tanya Donnelly has combined moments of brilliance with a fair degree of water treading. The good news is that, aside from the faltering opener ‘Life Is But A Dream’, Beautysleep is a particularly good record.

With her demons seemingly behind her, the album is a lot more punter friendly than either the Muses or Belly’s less accessible moments. Indeed, the likes of the gorgeous ‘The Storm’ or ‘The Night You Saved My Life’ have a radio friendly sheen to them that merely goes to highlight Donnelly’s fine songwriting.

Backed by a selection of musicians whose CVs include Buffalo Tom, Juliana Hatfield 3, Morphine (the late Mark Sandman) and the Catholics, the twelve tracks have a sparkling effervescence to them, only enhanced by Donnelly’s beautiful voice and incisive, at times joyous, lyrics. As has always been her wont, the straightforward approach is tempered by a more tempestuous bent on ‘Moonbeam Monkey’ and the clattering ‘Wrap-Around Skirt’ but Beautysleep is an overall enchanting listening experience and her most assured and complete work to date.

“I’m not finished yet”, she admits on ‘The Storm’, “I’m under construction”. Encouraging words indeed.