Sophie Coyle: Blame Me for the Storm review – killing you softly with storytelling

Folk singer, songwriter and illustrator Sophie Coyle's debut album Blame Me for the Storm uses softness as a weapon. Gentle melodies reel you in, but the formidable women she presents in songs such as Delirium and The Burning Gorse, a vengeful song sung from the grave, lay down the law and act as moral compasses. "I curse you William O'Brien and those that gave breath to you for poisoning the mind of the only man I loved," she taunts from the other world. "And until you feel remorse, I will haunt you from the belly of the burning gorse."

The Dundalk-based Galwegian uses poetic imagery that's steeped in nature, giving Mayfly and Brave Bird delicate lullaby qualities. Her husband, Jinx Lennon, provides guttural tones for the determined Jonah and the Whale. Coyle has a sharp knack for storytelling, bringing us on journeys across the world or into other realms, and these songs double up as fantastical and timeless fables. Whether she's conjuring up magic or brewing up something darker, Coyle's voice and narrative takes charge on the assertive Blame Me for the Storm.

[ soundcloud.com/sophie-coyle ]