It seems like only yesterday that #TEAMw21 sat with a throng of people who had queued down Parkway in Camden, ages before doors were due to open to ensure they could get a prime position in the Green Note to watch Lisa Wright play. It was a joyous night
where a number of new tunes received their debut, one of which was "Everything Changes".
That night Lisa's band featured Joe Dolman, as well as a songwriter, producer, multi instrumentalist also occasionally known to provide a vocal or two, in the shape of Kaity Rae. Joe and Kaity appear on this song both as co-writers and as performers and with Matt Greaves ( Ward Thomas ) on production duties there was never any real doubt that this return to original recorded material would be a success. Her last outing of new material need we remind you was our 2018 EP of the year "Mind Of Mine".
"Everything Changes" follows a fairly minimalist path instrumentally, there's not an awful lot there but everything is exactly right and perfectly placed with not so much as a note not fulfilling its designed purpose, from Lisa's acoustic guitar through to the occasional keyboard support and gentle percussion, all of it absolutely essential. There are even a few seconds where there are no instruments at all, just Lisa's voice which is able to completely hold the listeners attention. As with "Mind Of Mine", it is Lisa's vocal that is the star of the show, some of the time narrator and occasionally breaking down the fourth wall to speak to the listener directly, able to convey so much by the merest flicker in her delivery, just listen to the heartbreaking way she sings the final words of this line
"You never think it happens to people like you, just another Friday night with no-one to talk to"
The song opens to just Lisa and her guitar and within a few lines we are at the crux of the song.
"Never thought it happened quite this sudden - just another Friday night - but then she walked in the room"
This is very much dealing with your world being rocked suddenly out of the blue
"You write a plan, make a vow, and pretty soon life comes along and turns it upside down".
The second verse sees us peer in on a couple, no judgement is passed other than a keen observation on the nature of relationships.
"Building a life at home - They ain't spent a Friday night alone
But one's watching TV, whilst the others sat on the phone"
The conclusions reached are both stark and honestly laid out
"Everything changes - it's out of your hands
Everything changes the best laid plans
You can kid yourself, convince yourself It'll work out cos you want it to"
It has taken a while to reach us but "Everything Changes" has fulfilled all of the promise that it showed when it was heard for the first time at the Green Note, if anything it has probably gained extra unintentional pathos from what has happened during the time in between whereby everyone's world has been rocked in one way or another.
Confirming her position as one of the top performers that UK Americana has to offer "Everything Changes" is a simply marvellous return to original material and the first installment on what will surely be one of the most highly anticipated EP's of 2021.
Everything Changes is available to pre order and is released April 29th