Originally from Scotland but a longtime resident south of the border, Dot Allison has not released new music for a good few years now and it is good to have her back in the fray. The former One Dove vocalist, who also released solo material and collaborated with the likes of Death in Vegas, has a single out, a precursor to an album to be released in July.
The track starts with an acoustic guitar and Dot’s unique voice, sounding better than ever. There’s a bit of double-tracking of the vocals, then some violin. The overall vibe is confessional, regretful maybe… Other strings come in, along with maybe a bit of piano, but the track is certainly a departure from some of the electronics of her previous work. There’s an instrumental flourish and then a further verse with references to cherry trees and long forgotten photographs (hence the “long exposure” title) and some lovely piano.
The track sounds probably more like Marianne Faithful or even Kate Bush at her most lyrical, a unique marrying of folk and chanson. It is a thing of beauty and maturity, and it is well worth a listen.