This album was absolute pleasure to bump into. Working its way through the dust & mud of enriching rootsy music “See the Sky About to Rain” carries the remarkable talents of one Colleen Rennison, a 25 years old actress and singer with a voice that will remind you of the good old days with a big smile.
Predictably Rennison’s voice and delivery stand out as the main source of excitement. Kindly backed by strong songwriting and inspired band performance she displays remarkable talent whilst handling a formidable and musically very flexible vehicle. Indeed, the excellent instrumentals and thoughtful arrangements also count. “Fancy” sees rippling guitar work of Steve Dawson tastefully siding with grit imbued lead vocals. Colleen’s talents are brought to the fore as a combination of her vocal strength and all-encompassing musical diversity. It’s all about taming the effective symbiosis of constantly changing colors which proves vital in texturing the mood and feel of every song on the album. And the terrain covered is vast; from the subtle soul of “All La Glory”, the wonderfully executed, heart swollen ballad “Blue Wing”, to the almost urgent cowboy drift of “White Freightliner”. Colleen Rennison nails them all down with infectious passion and carrying bucket loads of authenticity. Those few remaining doubters will turn ardent believers with “Whiskey, Whiskey”, an intrepid piece of music with smashing leads.
There is more to this album that just the usual random picked miscellany of genres and moods. “See the Sky About to Rain” is a fascinating document of rare and mutable talent.