Martin Luther King once said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Rachael Sage has decided to break down the components of a person’s character through her new album by opening up and baring her soul for the world to hear. ‘Blue Sky Days’ has a gorgeous string arrangement and piano which is reminiscent of Vanessa Carlton.
‘Bravery’s On Fire’ hears Sage admitting that she is “just a person struggling in her skin” and has such passionate delivery. I am reminded of summer days on ‘Damaged’, which sounds like an unreleased Pretenders’ track to this writer’s ears.
The hauntingly beautiful version of ‘Ohio’ allows the lyrics to spring forth with light drums and eerie piano providing a backing that does not take away from the difficult subject matter. We are taken on a trip down memory lane on ‘When I Was Young’ with elegant cello and it creates pictures in the mind.
‘Atmosphere’ sounds pure Eighties pop classic with a stripped-back arrangement and I wonder if her time on the road with Howard Jones entered her subconscious during the writing of this track.
The record ends with ‘Catch The Light’. The music originated from when Rachael Sage penned an instrumental for a performance in 7th grade at the age of eleven. Then whilst looking at school memorabilia in her adult years, she was able to add lyrics as she played the tune on her keyboard to create the final product. The definition of past and present colliding!
Overall, ‘Character’ was a result of both a physically and emotionally demanding time in Rachael Sage’s life and the creation of the album seems to have been a therapeutic experience for her.