Night on My Side

By CH Smith

Despite the somewhat generic sound of Night on My Side, Irish singer/songwriter Gemma Hayes has put together a solid debut album showcasing her undeniable talents as both musician and songwriter.


What I mean by generic is that any of these songs may soon appear in an episode of Dawson’s Creek, if they have not already. Hayes has more talent than most other songstresses making a living in a similar fashion and with a strong debut like Night on My Side she should find commercial success in North America.


The tracks are well composed and well produced thanks to help from Flaming Lips producer David Fridmann. My personal favourites are packaged in the middle of the album: “Lucky One” has some wonderful distorted guitar overlaid with some nice acoustic guitar work and minimalist lyrics while “Making Waves” is a nice transition from the first six tracks into a more relaxed set of songs in the second half of the album.


If you like Kathleen Edwards, Neko Case or Beth Orton, you should give Gemma Hayes a listen, she won’t disappoint.