RACHEL GOSWELL seems to have got this career curve business all arse about face. Instead of starting out in a brilliant band and spending the rest of her time living down the influence of her early days, she started off in the generally pretty abhorrent Slowdive and has subsequently spent her time reclaiming her reputation with Neil Halstead in the actually pretty spiffy Mojave 3, whose "Spoon & Rafter" was another quiet triumph last year.
Halstead has made the point of wandering off for a solo career in between Mojave's records, so not unreasonably Rachel also feels well, everybody else is doing it, why not me? Why not indeed, and on the basis of "The Sleep Shelter EP" - a five track taster for her soon-come debut LP - you can only wonder why she's been hiding her light under a collective bushel for so long.
"The Sleep Shelter" is an excellent effort and quickly establishes Rachel Goswell's credentials as a credible solo performer. Most of these tunes are co-written with collaborator/ guitarist Joe Light and - while of a primarily acoustic bent - suggest Rachel is comfortable in a variety of settings.
Opener "Plucked" quickly has you on the hook. Featuring ambience from "Chislehurst Caves", 'caved' Wurlitzer and Thai Insects (no, me neither...) it's an absolute beaut, with Rachel submitting a great, Linda Thompson-style vocal and some delicious,sympatico strings sliding in to perfection mid-way through. Ace.
Brilliantly, it refuses to go downhill either. "Sleepless And Tooting" (er, what's with this 'Tooting'....cocaine? the South London borough famous for, er, Wolfie Smith and Kitchens Of Distinction?) is another cool tune, raising the pulse beat a little thanks to 'mini Spanish guitar', 'ethnic tambourine' (her term) and a particularly fruity hammond organ entering the fray.
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If anything, though, it's usurped by "Flying With Gene", which is darker, wholly acoustic and featuring a bluesy vocal from Rachel and some attractive vibrato/ Leslie guitar work from Joe. The "Gene" she's referring to in the title may possibly be Gene Clark, as the ensuing "Stickin' With Grace" is a likeable, mid-paced country pop canter with excellent breathy vox from our Rach and a soaring chorus. It's the most immediate, catchy tune here and the obvious single if push came to shove.
The closing "Come Rescue Me", meanwhile, almost brings us full circle with an acoustic vibe similar to "Plucked", but again the instrumentation is inspired, with the droning cello and surprise uileann pipes threading an unlikely, but winning Celtic weave through the song's second half.
I've yet to hear her album so can't at this stage make any pronouncements on whether these lovely, easy-going excursions are typical of her solo direction per se. I can divulge, though, that "The Sleep Shelter" works as an entity regardless and suggests Rachel Goswell has a fine future with or without Mojave 3. I tell you: it's the late developers you gotta watch out for.
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