Review: Melissa Ruth – Bones

Melissa Ruth’s fourth self-produced album is one of her strongest to date. Her music sits somewhere between blues and Americana, whilst her lyrics have a folk sensibility to them. She begins with ‘Edith Piaf’, a soft arrangement centred around the fingerpicking of an acoustic guitar supports her slightly fractured vocals that are packed full of emotion and experience. ‘Wild Roses’ with it’s brass addition in the instrumentation gives it a slightly haunted feel but it’s a stand out track which is full of character. A simple lyric is enhanced by the musicality and arrangement. The album concludes on the title track ‘Bones’ and Ruth’s vocals appear to be at their strongest here on this moody ending. To conclude, it’s a fantastic offering from Ruth with its well written songs and excellently production that compliments the style and themes in the lyrics well.