A Review Based on Superficial Comparisons #2plus some insights into the music

Diner Order Checks: Gemma Hayes and Carrie Newcomer

Folk-influenced IRE/UK Rock: Gemma Hayes
The back cover artwork on Gemma Hayes’ Night on My Side uses two diner order checks for the track listings, dividing the album into day and night, and stylistically there’s quite a divide too. The order checks show that Hayes moved from Table 13 to Table 14. At Table 13 (tracks 1-6), Hayes orders up the Rock Music Special. At Table 14 (tracks 7-12), she orders some folky choices. While the album title, Night on My Side, may point to the Night diner check, Table 14, I’m actually more impressed by what happens during the Day at Table 13.


Hayes electric energy charges through the songs as the band kicks in for full power. When stripped down as on the Night songs, Hayes plays an American Folk swirling into the atmosphere like Shawn Colvin’s work on A Whole New You.

Yet, when the full daylight reveals tracks 1-6, Hayes lives up to the My Bloody Valentine and Breeders comparisons. The song core remains singer-songwriter, but the buzzing, pulsing, urging, and kicking comes racing in like a subway train, the electric blue flashing along the power rail.

With this combination of Rock Music Specials and folky choices, I’m placing Gemma Hayes in the Spectrum next to Beth Orton. While Hayes on tracks 1-6 shows more slam-down jams than Orton, Hayes’ second half compensates by being even more folky than Orton.

“Let a Good Thing Go,” track 3 on the Day diner order check, brings a SongDevotion. This song is also the featured music video on the U.S. Enhanced CD version.


Country-influenced Rock: Carrie Newcomer
Like a menu made up of a diner’s best daily specials, Betty’s Diner: The Best of Carrie Newcomer gives a listener a chance to order up a selection of her music if you’ve missed her albums in the past. With a title like Betty’s Diner, a title song, and album artwork based on a diner menu, and picture of Carrie drinking her coffee at the diner, the superficial comparison with Gemma Hayes’ Night on My Side is. . .obvious. . .but of course, superficial. Here on the back cover of Newcomer’s album, the diner order check shows that Newcomer ordered 2 eggs, 1 toast, and 1 coffee, sat at Table 2, and was served by Betty.

Overall, Newcomer lands in fine company with Mary Chapin-Carpenter. Both mix singer-songwriter, folk music with Country flavoring. It’s like ordering a salad at a Bob Evans restaurant where everything with or without sausage still tastes like sausage. Newcomer and Chapin-Carpenter are folkies whose songs have all of the Country sausage and biscuits taste.

However, Newcomer pulls in a lot of other spices to dress up her recipies. “Bowling Baby,” a new song for Betty’s Diner, is a jazzy, Country swing. “Three Women” has Irish flute, fiddle, and concertina, reminiscent of the Rankins’ combination of Country and Celtic. “Gathering of Spirits” features Alison Krauss, a New Bluegrass, Appalachian dance feel. “When One Door Closes” has a Gospel piano and backing choir. Then there’s the blues of “I Should’ve Known Better,” like a train slowing down just a bit as it comes through town, like the speed of a pickup truck cruising around the town square on a Saturday night.

“Betty’s Diner,” the title track and a new song for this collection, finds Newcomer exploring spiritual themes inside the coffee shop, making it a great place to find a SongDevotion.

To see other comparisons based on not much, go to:
A Review Based on Superficial Similarities. . .#1