Album Notes

Lisbee Stainton is a 20-year-old singer/songwriter. Born in Southampton, UK, she wrote her first songs at the age of 10.

A door opened into a love of music at an early age, and since then she has developed an eternal passion for it. Lisbee has been performing since she was young, mainly due to little concerts run by her piano teacher in Hamble Village Hall.

The piano wasn’t for her though, and at the age of 8 she took up the guitar, having wanted to for what felt like forever, and immediately fell in love with it, performing with her instrument for one of the first times in a junior school assembly with “Streets of London”.

She broke her first guitar in half when it fell on a table from a small but very deadly height, which was deeply upsetting, but someone did stick it back together again.

Finding herself feeling completely at ease on stage, Lisbee was encouraged to perform her own compositions in her early teens and was buoyed along by the positive reaction she received. She has a new and lovely shiny guitar now and hopes never to lose an open mind, and to always be able to song-write with total and wholehearted enthusiasm.

Her advice to all budding guitarists is: “Heights and a guitar, as a combination, isn’t a happy means to a healthy instrument.”

“I want to musically unravel life. Kind of like a ball of wool, but not.”


COMMENTS & REVIEWS

Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music, 8.40pm Fri 16 Jan 2009:

"This is 6 Music, I'm Tom Robinson waffling away here. Here's something really, really good that we discovered on the introducing show last year: got a recommendation from Raz in Basingstoke for Lisbee Stainton, we took a listen and it just sounded terrific and we're going to hear that. I saw her do a showcase for radio folk and media folk and business folk and she was brilliant - her and her guitar and her cello player."


Alex Lester, BBC Radio 2, 3.55am Fri 16 Jan 2009:

"Now the other night I was at the BBC and there was a showcase by this particular lady, Lisbee Stainton. What was very touching was before she appeared to do 4 or 5 tunes a gentleman got up to say how great she was and gave quite an impassioned speech about her talent, then she came on and said 'thanks Dad'. This is BBC Radio 2 online, on digitial and on 88 to 91 FM."


"Well I’ve listened to “Firefly” several times over now and my first impressions have not changed - “Firefly” is EXCELLENT throughout!

What I particularly like is that there’s a youthful, innocent quality to Lisbee’s voice and lyrics which is so refreshing that it sets her apart from other contemporary singer songwriters and even when she ventures into deep waters that quality and charm is still there. Throughout there are great memorable melodic lines, lyrical moments and playing - on the evidence of this the lady deserves to go far!

Rain’s production and arrangements shine through with class and craftsmanship and his excellent musicianship is also very much in evidence. An Englishness of a time long ago seems at times to emanate from the album and what struck me several times over was that there are also echoes of early period Genesis (we‘re talking around their “Trespass“ period ). This, for example, is very evident in the arrangements of multitracked acoustic guitars on the opening title track and in the outstanding “Any Worse” which beautifully distils the magic and feel of those early records. There’s even a crafty reference on one track to Pink Floyd (those in the know will spot it!) which also features some excellent atmospheric synth textures.

Mention must be made of sax supremo Iain Ballamy who offers up some spellbinding solos throughout such as on “These Eyes” and the jazz tinged “Lying” which also features some excellent solo strings and closes with a superb soaring coda. Iain puts in a great performance on several other tracks as well and is a real treat to hear.

The album is full of high points most notably the stunningly beautiful “Red” which for me is sheer perfection with it’s string section, lyrics and impassioned singing. I'm reminded at times of Rain’s solo album, the magnificent “Cerulean Blue” and this is true of several other tracks as well. Then there’s the thoughtful and moving “Wish Upon A Star” which features sweeping strings and a beautiful cor anglais. “The End” has a fantastic atmospheric opening section with yearning cello which then ventures into an up tempo main section with a joyful melody that belies the cynicism of the lyrics. Yet another outstanding track is the haunting and shivers down the spine beauty of “Tomorrow” which is truly an awesome piece of music in all regards that it has had me reaching for the repeat button several times over!

Congratulations to Lisbee and Rain - “Firefly” is a most excellent and rewarding album!"

STEVE HILLMAN


"What an excellent album! I can hear the Rain influence in places, also
the vocals remind me of The Sundays"

ALAN HYDE



"I love the album! It's already on my to-buy list :) She's got a great voice, the music flows beautifully"

MARTA NOWOSIELSKA


"Fabulous album and I wish you all the success you deserve. If there is any justice then you will get the recognition you thoroughly deserve.

A wonderful and warm album full of beautiful songs. Oh yes, and I have ordered it of course :-)

Take care and hope to see you perform the songs with your support act being Katie Melua and Norah Jones."

DAVID SAUNDERS