Laura Fell – Safe from Me
Balloon Machine Records – 20 November 2020
Writing songs can be a cathartic event, which is most certainly the case for Laura Fell on Safe from Me. The album allows her to a follow a path to understanding the events in her life, one she shares with others in her day job as a psychotherapist. It can be difficult for many of us to understand the machinations and motivations in our lives. While it may be easy to see those things in others, it’s not always as simple to see them in ourselves. Yet Fell seems to have reached a clarity of sorts through her writing.
Fell is nothing if not a woman under control. Against a background of guitar, along with a wealth of strings, Bone of Contention makes her feelings abundantly clear, “I got an axe to grind/ A grudge to bear/ A bone to pick with you.” This is a strong woman who has things under control. She knows exactly what she’s doing, her voice is strong and her beliefs even stronger.
Having written poetry for 10-years morphing into song writing wasn’t a particularly difficult task. Yet she had to work three jobs in order to raise the money to pay the classical musicians that play on Safe from Me. The coloring they offer makes the songs all the better, providing moments that resonate beautifully in ways that a simple acoustic guitar never could.
New relationships take work, the kind of work that exposes all those bits that don’t necessarily show us in the best light. On “Cold” Fell holds up the mirror and examines her flaws, “I can’t find the answers for myself/ It’s easier to help somebody else.” Fell notes, “This song is about the vulnerability of entering into a new relationship – wanting to open yourself fully, but fearful of doing this too soon – and essentially asking someone not to reject or judge you when you show them the messier parts of yourself.”
Divorce is hardly the kind of subject that suggests joy and happiness, yet “Glad” presents rays of hope that actually make sense. Marriage can be a positive experience, “And then, when you’re quietly sat/ And your mind might travel back/ I hope you’ll just be glad / For all you have and had.” Despite the inherent messiness, there is still much that one can remember fondly, if so inclined.
There are also moments that will haunt your soul. Fell seems to be apologizing for her faults on “I Didn’t Mean To,” faults that may have undermined a relationship, “If I made you feel like you were wrong/ It never left me feeling right/ I was blind to the beauty of it all/ And did I make you feel alone?”
There is a certain kind of bravery at the heart of Laura Fell’s vision. Safe from Me indicates exactly how determined she was to realize it, regardless of the cost. The results indicate that it was quite clearly worth the investment.
Order via Bandcamp: https://laurafell.bandcamp.com/album/safe-from-me
You can also hear Laura Fell on our latest show: Lost in Transmission No. 64