Golden Eagle (CD) (Digi-Pak)

With it's spellbinding country and western ballads and devastating emotional delivery, Holly Macve's debut Golden Eagle is one of the most remarkably assured debuts of this or any other year, especially given the Galway, western Ireland born/Yorkshire raised artist is only 21 years old. The bulk of Golden Eagle was recorded in Newcastle at the home studio of producer Paul Gregory (Lanterns On The Lake), with extra recording in Brighton and London with her first touring band and Macve performing on acoustic guitar and piano. Yet Golden Eagle remains beautifully spare and delicate, putting Holly's goosebump-raising voice center stage, beautifully controlled yet riven with feeling. quot;All Of It's Gloryquot; evokes her great-grandad, serving in WWI, writing impassioned letters to his wife at home. Other songs describe 'blood red fields' and 'burning skies', and 'a man standing by the river bank / His eyes were blue and his hair was jet black'. quot;I'm fascinated and drawn to that kind of romantic imagery,quot; she says.