Album Notes

Whether it is a sign of the times or not, acoustic music is very much in the fore these days. In Sydney particularly, venues in residential areas are suffering from noise restrictions as well as budget cuts and, as a result, many artists are turning to or, at least, are forced to turn to an acoustic format. It would seem that the glory days of "Spinal Tap" are a thing of the past!

And so what began as an experiment through necessity rather than a determined creative direction in 1999 has officially taken on a life of its own with "Nowhere Near Eleven". With just one or two guitars or simply piano as well as hand percussion, the vocals are given the chance to be the star here.

Featuring the rich and soaring vocals of Louise Perryman as well as the inimitable vocal spontaneity of Chelsea Plumley and Brydon Stace, "Nowhere Near Eleven" is a celebration of what has been achieved "live" with little instrumentation and amplification.

A chance for the vocals to breathe. A chance to hear the space in the music. A chance to see the strength of these songs.

The talents of Damian de Boos-smith (guitar) and Bill Risby (piano & bass) complement what has become an extremely versatile combo. Kept true to "live" performance, the fullness of sound in this recording is a testament to the musicality of each member of the group.

With songwriting awards already bestowed on 3 of the tracks, as we have come to expect from Miss Perryman, the songs are well crafted and sensitively composed and arranged. As one reviewer stated, "excellent melodically and lyrically - the kind of songs you want to rewind and listen to again and again". They are at times humorous, instantly "hummable" and always heartfelt and honest. There's even the customary "angst" song so important in the female singer/songwriter repertoire of today!

So, Louise and her guitar are a much more familiar sight these days. And "Nowhere Near Eleven" is about as far from Spinal Tap as you can get!