The daughter of acclaimed British folk artists Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson, Eliza Carthy has long been one of the major protagonists in the UK neo-folk renaissance. A dedicated and passionate artist, Carthy is also highly eclectic, as evinced on previous albums such as Red Rice, which blended drum & bass with folk fiddle amongst other unusual but largely successful experiments. Dreams Of Breathing Underwater is Carthy's seventh solo record and is predictably unpredictable. Opening with the 12-bar blues "Follow The Dollar", the album shapeshifts through the ethereal "Hug You Like A Mountain" and "Lavenders", the meandering "Rosalie", the funereal "Two Tears" and the captivating "Mr Magnifico" - right up to the dramatic, swinging denouement "Oranges And Seasalt". Carthy’s vocals are as mercurial as her arrangements as she switches from angelic to angry, poignant to potent. There's never a dull moment as the songs flit insouciantly between Latin and reggae, electronica and blues, further underlining Carthy's skill as a songwriter and her imagination as an artiste.

Customer Rating:
Summary: big effects but......
Comment: Eliza is a huge talent- writing , playing and a voice like no other, but for me this CD seems to have lost the sound and emotion and subtlety that I love about much of her work.
Big sound, but unsatisfying , maybe less is more?

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Customer Rating:
Summary: This is what she's been building towards
Comment: Brilliant, witty, rude, anarchic, multi-styled, multi-layered !
Eliza Carthy produces a career-highlight album
Styles and boundaries are blown aside in a magical display of contemporary (Hard to categorise as 'Folk') music
Musicianship throughout is superb from all participants and lyrics are at once thought-provoking and amusing
'Oranges and Sea-salt' is a classic
This album puts Eliza right up there with Richard Thompson as one of our national treasures !

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Something a bit different
Comment: Now, this is a difficult album to recommend. Ultimately all reviews are redundant as it comes down to personal taste at the end of the day. If you're a fan of Eliza's material across the board then it's a fair bet that this is for you as it outshines all of her previous self-written, less folky material. She's learned her craft well and this is a very polished collection of songs, made even more impressive by her restrained vocals and sharp wit. If you're after traditional arrangements/songs then you won't find them here. If you are strictly a fan of Eliza's folk music, then this isn't probably for you either. As one reviewer has said, you can't compare this album to anything else. Each track is as different as the last and so to even brand the album as a whole would be a waste of time. You could say certain tracks are done in a certain style, Oranges & Seasalt being big band(ish). The nearest comparison I can think of as a whole is the way in which Bellowhead have taken folk music and done something very bold and loud and clever with an off-beat approach. Spiers and Boden even make their now obligatory appearances on Dreams. I was also slightly reminded of Voltaire for the same reasons. Dreams is not trad or even folk as such, but a collection of very from-left-field and catchy tunes. I'm not a particular fan of Eliza's more contemporary offerings and the trad arr heavy Rough Music is one of my all-time favourite albums, so I had this album on order just because it's Eliza and wasn't expecting much from this outing. I was wrong. The first track is my least favourite and so things didn't bode well on first play what with my preconceptions and it's also one of those albums that catches you out, so a few listens are needed to get comfortable with it. But if and when it clicks it is undoubtedly one of the most catchy, original and clever albums you'll hear in a long while. Mr Magnifico, for example, is the kind of thing that would normally have me cringing and scrambling for the skip track button, but somehow it works. Personal favourites are Little Bigman and Oranges & Seasalt. Love it or hate it, to sum up the album in one punch would have to be "Clever and Catchy." The one draw back with traditional music is that it can be dull, a long and rambling story with hardly a tune, and deep down we all like a catchy tune. By writing her own material Eliza has delivered an album that pays it's dues to the folk music community, pushes the boundaries of... well music in general, which is no mean feat these days, and wins through by being infectiously catchy and will have you whistling one song or another at all times of the day and night. On the back of this album I bought tickets for the tour and, as always with Eliza, it is guaranteed to be a good night out.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Magical and touching music
Comment: This is modern British folk with a specifically English twist - not eccentric but gloriously idiosyncratic. It is personal without being maudlin, melodious but never mawkish. And yet there is something touching about it that is close to poetic. Bracing, timeless stuff.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Different, Varied and Great Fun
Comment: Having thoroughly enjoyed her more traditional previous album Rough Music, and following the recent Channel 5 documentary on Eliza, I had expected something in a similar vein. However, this is very different. It follows in the trail of her previous self-written album (the underrated Angels & Cigarettes) and infuses her folk leanings with an unexpected variety of instruments and styles. What comes through on every song is the strength of the song writing, the vividly drawn characters and the wonderful narratives. All delivered in Eliza's beautiful and expressive singing style. It's an album that rewards repeated listens and leaves you feeling uplifted on every occasion. Incidentally, if you ever get the chance to see Eliza live, don't miss out as it's a wonderful evening in the company of a very talented and engaging person.

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