Review by Sarah Bloodworth, independent music journalist
Music doesn’t come much more tender than this. Helen Jayne McKellar’s new self-penned EP of six songs, titled It’s Not Too Late, takes you on an emotional journey that touches the physical, mental and spiritual in everyone of us. Musically, the EP is a collection of light pop with beefy rocky guitar, acoustic ballads and a hint of jazzy blues, and also a subtle touch of country folk thrown into the mix. The songs tell of both the difficulties and struggles of life with the joys of a precious love found – a love that can turn even the most gut-wrenching of experiences around in a heartbeat. In her music, Helen manages to find a tender balance between sadness and hope, confusion and confidence, vulnerability and strength, and between the crushed and the elated. With her smooth, feminine Karen Carpenter-esque voice, Helen shines light on the darkest corners of the heart, and at the same time her lyrics never fail to offer a positive solution or outcome. In that way, Helen gives you the permission and safety to face whatever pain may be lurking in your own dirty waters. Listening to the EP is like taking a shower – you emerge from it a far better person, sparkling with love and energy, and with a genuine joy for life and all it has to offer.
He Will Cover You begins with a soft, gentle piano that cleverly disguises a gritty determination that lies behind the song. In the first few bars, the peaceful image of a beautiful bird by a lake opening and spreading its delicate feathers comes to mind. But the song doesn’t let you settle. Before long, in kicks a rocky guitar rift that is forceful, persistent and purposeful, providing rock-solid foundations for each chorus. Helen’s message is urgent and strong, a need to seek help, to take refuge and find grace. By now, the bird is a strong, powerful eagle soaring in the sky with a wingspan big enough to cover even the most desolate of emotions. There is a no-nonsense quality about the song, and it leaves you nowhere to hide, drawing out the most vulnerable in order to find solace and shelter in a world faced with adversity.
There is such a delicate patter of sensitivity to the piano notes played right at the beginning of It’s Not Too Late, the first ballad on the EP, that one is reminded of water falling, perhaps of tears on a face. Here vulnerability takes centre stage, and Helen’s emotion-fortified voice rouses and tugs at your heartstrings. The song is a light pop ballad. The lyrics, however, are anything but. Loss, grief and heartache are the undercurrent, topped with a gentle plea to be heard, and the need to experience the love and support of another. Evocative, painful memories of rejection and resignation are tempered with the positive reminder of an unconditional love that is everlasting, unchanging, universal and strong – either from a friend, lover, family member or from faith. All forms of pure love are relevant and present in our everyday world, and it’s never too late to open the heart and let love in.
In the next ballad, I Can’t Cry Any More, Helen strips the music right back to basics. Mostly a quiet, heart-felt piano acoustic, in the background arises some subtle strings that bring a haunting quality to the song. The melody is clearly sad and heart-rending, and Helen’s velvety tones and depth convey layers of past suffering so grave that “I lost the will to survive”. The song is not shy to acknowledge the painful realities of past failures, self-doubt and despair. Such sadness and struggle relayed in the song is particularly poignant as I am reminded of Helen’s own constant daily battle with the unrelenting and devastating symptoms of ME. But the song is again balanced and nurtured with sentiments of healing, love and comfort. Helen quietly asserts the unfaltering joy at finding security and developing the freedom to just be. There is no great crescendo at the end that can sometimes accompany a song like this. The music remains understated and simple, a reminder that life doesn’t have to be complicated if only we were to open our hearts. Beautifully executed.
Nothing Can Separate sees a significant departure from the rest of the EP in that the whole mood of the song is assured, bold and robust. The rhythm takes on a more upbeat jazzy, almost show-style feel that reveals a fun, raunchier side to Helen. Gone is the vulnerability, confusion and self-doubt. Coming from a secure confident place, the lyrics are delivered with an inner strength that shows Helen means business. With a very slight gospel and country influence, the whole environment is one of celebration and of giving thanks. It makes you want to get up and sing along. The song leaves you in no doubt that, in every way, there is a profound happiness and joy that comes from truly knowing and accepting yourself and your beliefs.
Following another slow, beautifully haunting opening, Helen’s signature for this EP, Hard Cruel Day suddenly bursts into a fast, upbeat rock tempo that signals the harsh, cold reality of love lost described in the song. The lyrics leave you feeling bereft and fragile, and Helen imparts the song’s story with such deep sadness that at times you feel her voice might just crack with emotion. What is striking with this song is its ability to merge the heavier rock guitar with quieter moments of reflection which brings an uneasy quality to the table. There is no doubt a strong element of angst in the song until the last few lines when Helen brings us to a more positive place where “someone will carry you in their arms”. You are never left in a place of despair for long.
The last song on the EP is another ballad, and sublime in its delivery. Do You Know? has a classical feel about its introduction, and the whole ballad takes on a hymn-like essence. The song is open, honest and simple, and the melody is beautifully crafted staying with just piano and the subtle strings. Where before on the EP feelings of angst and sadness have been the focus, here Helen is the heartfelt voice of solace and support, offering a home or retreat that will never disappoint or disappear. It is a gift to find a place that can be constantly relied upon to support us when the going gets tough, and wherever you may find that place, it is cause for our deepest gratitude.
Review by Ian Hayter, journalist for "Cross Rhythms"
See the original review here
Helen Jayne recorded her first album in 1995 and her second in 2001. This is her third, so she certainly doesn't rush into the recording studio - although, to be fair, she has suffered from a debilitating illness which continues to limit her performances to the studio rather than live events. After Helen's second album, her voice was compared with that of Olivia Newton-John, and she does, indeed, have that same clarity of tone, which is well demonstrated on this short six-track album. With some fine backing arrangements behind articulate lyrics, this album expresses praise that has been forged through pain, not least in the moving "I Can't Cry Any More" and "Hard Cruel Day", a song in which deep mourning is tempered with even deeper faith. Helen Jayne's own belief seems to be summed up in her fine version of Romans 8:38, "Nothing Can Separate". All in all, a great set of songs. 9/10
Review by Geoff Howlett, journalist "Never For Nothing" CCM Newsletter:
contact Geoff on geoff@geoffhowlett.co.uk
It’s more than 7 years since I last reviewed any music from this young lady, and over a decade since I saw her live, promoting her “Safe” album. At that time, she was tipped by many for big things. Sadly, a long illness knocked the wind out of her sails and those big things have never really happened. But, like the title of this 6 track CD, it’s never too late. I often thought that Helen’s vocal’s reminded me of Cherry Keaggy, but her delivery is very much like Amy Grant. In fact, I couldn’t stop thinking how alike Helen and Amy sound in this area. ‘He Will Cover you’ starts the ball rolling about God’s protection, and it really rocks. The title track has a big production behind it, and Helen’s vocals carry the song to a very high standard. Indeed, that quality gets even better on her song for the lost, called ‘Hard Cruel Day’. There’s a real feeling of compassion that comes across, and I was hooked by this one. The final song is ‘Do You Know?’ – a question to those about knowing God beside you through all things. I’m sure that this is a terrifically personal song for Helen, and she handles it well. How I would have loved a full album of songs. If this lady enjoyed better health and lived in America, I have no doubt that she would be enjoying bigger success. There again, that would be a big loss for the UK Christian public. 9/10
Review by Marshall Thomas, freelance journalist:
contact Marshall on marshall.thomas@btinternet.com
Almost eight years on from her second full album release, Give My Life, award-winning Welsh singer-songwriter Helen Jayne McKellar is back with a new collection of songs to stir the soul and, for those who have followed Helen’s musical career over the last two decades, ‘It’s Not Too Late’ even offers a few surprises. There is something for most people here - a couple of acoustic ballads, some infectious rhythms and even a little jazz thrown in for good measure.
As always, Helen’s Christian faith is the foundation of her life and the obvious influence in her music and ‘It’s Not Too Late’ opens with a song of undeniable testimony to God’s love. ‘Cover you With His Feathers’ sets the verses of Psalm 91 to music, but don’t be fooled by the ethereal and gentle start, because an infectious pop-rock track gives the song a boundless energy after a little over a minute in to listening.
Next up is the CD’s title track and a ballad that took me back to a day when a young man in his late teens/early twenties cried during a live performance of ‘Safe’, the title track of Helen Jayne’s award-winning first complete album release, in a church in North West London. Having cried almost 20 years ago during that live performance, this time I cried for slightly different reasons, but there again, somewhat the same reasons. There is nothing more powerful than God reminding us that He is there for us. Twenty years on from first hearing Helen and her now-husband and a manager Doug, ‘It’s Not Too Late’ is, in my estimation, Helen Jayne McKellar at her best.
As Helen has relayed in her blogs on her official website, the production of her new songs has sometimes been delayed by her health battles and the feelings of not being able to produce a strong enough vocal. But there’s no better way to show the world the quality of vocals that Helen has become renowned for than in two stunning acoustic songs, with Helen accompanied by just a piano and a string ensemble.
The first of these two appear on the new CD is ‘I Can’t Cry Anymore’. In the contest of Helen’s health issues, this is a remarkably honest tribute to the strength of God’s love amidst human frailty. Like any good song, it takes you on a journey, a journey that you know Helen has been on herself over the years and which inspires the lyric ‘I Can’t Cry Anymore’ to soon become ‘I Won’t Cry Anymore.’
Following on from the opening track referencing Psalm 91, ‘Nothing Can Separate’ is based on the passage at the end of Romans 8 and from the first few bars, introduces a song that has more of a Jazz-feel than much of Helen’s other material, certainly on this CD.
After four songs with an unmistakable Gospel message, you might be forgiven for thinking you know what to expect from the penultimate track, ‘Hard Cruel Day’, but you are in for a surprise with a heart-wrenching story of a little girl who has lost her mother and the mixture of motions and feelings that the family are dealing with. There is a stark contrasting between the punchiness of the chorus and the quiet sadness of the opening verses, but that contrast only adds to the depth of a song that ends with the promise that that there is always someone out there to care for us in times of sorrow….
Helen’s last CD, Give My Life, brought comparisons with the vocals of Olivia Newton John…..a comparison aided by that CD containing a cover version of the Aussie songstress’s ‘A Little More Love’. There are no cover versions here, but the vocal comparison is still perhaps most striking in the second of two acoustic tracks which brings Helen’s latest CD to a glorious end. The lyrics of ‘Do You Know?’ are written from God’s perspective and again promise that He knows our struggles and our fears and is right there to face them with us, if only we let Him help us deal with our frailties and fears. It’s a poignant reminder of the faith that Helen has had to place in Him through uncertain times to produce another stunning collection of songs. Helen’s voice is one of beauty, depth and feeling that is matched by some challenging lyrics.
So, here’s your challenge… Do YOU Know? Do You Know that Helen Jayne McKellar is back and sounding better than ever? There’s only one way to find out….
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Comment by Mark (Woking)
If I had to name my favourites, then I think I'd probably go for "He Will Cover You" and "Do You Know". Not having heard "Do You Know" before, this came as a wonderful surprise to end the album and I'd put it on a par with "Falling Deep in Love". I think it has a lovely melody, is beautifully sung, has a fantastic string and piano arrangement, and I think it could have a very broad appeal. The first time I heard it, it gave me that tingly feeling on the back of my head!
Comment by Mathew (Swansea)
Congratulations on the release of your new album...
At first glance the presentation of the disc was something else, very professional & slick - however I was left blown away by the quality of the material you have recorded. It didn't take long to realise this wasn't your average collection of faith songs and the stuff here has huge potential in the mass market too, particularly in the US.
Track 1 - 'He Will Cover You" - I was very impressed by the mixing of styles, a good bit of work here. There's a lot of Christian stuff making it big time lately, look at that Alexander off X-Factor with 'Hallelujah' & Beyonce with 'Halo'.
Track 2 - 'It's Not Too Late' - beautiful. As a fan of artists ranging from Fleetwood Mac to Dido I can honestly say this was well up there in terms of melody, singing, lyrics, passion & studio production. Very impressive - this one got my attention.
Track 5 - 'Hard Cruel Day' - this one has huge potential in the Top 40... if only you could get it on the radio or into Indy stores. The rock element in this album is modern & works really well. This is easily movie soundtrack standard. Loved this one.
Those are my favourites, I thought they were all brilliants song - I also liked the Moulin Rouge/Duffy style tune to 'Nothing Can Separate', foxy! What stood out to me most was how beautiful your voice is, you're sounding like a 20-something! I liked the 6-track album idea too, Coldplay have said they want to release smaller quantities of stuff at a time, maybe you could make a free track now & then for the fans. Someone to make snippets of the best songs for MySpace and maybe even a video/gallery on your next disc would be amazing. I'm very proud of you Helen, impressive stuff, 10/10. Gonna take this disc into work & show it off. lol.
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