My first album review of 2024, is I Don’t Give Up Easily by singer-songwriter Sarah Riches. Released last year, this album showcases Sarah’s beautiful vocals, amongst the storytelling background of country music.
Each song tells a story about the good and the bad side of relationships, making the album very relatable with its listeners. A 10 track album, which can be enjoyed in just 36 minutes, features the following tracks:
1) Dancing in the Rain – for me personally, I would say that this particular opening track captures the true essence of country music with wonderful lyrical storytelling. Mix of upbeat drums, Sarah’s melodious voice, acoustic guitar and piano arrangement all blending together seamlessly.
2) I Don’t Give Up Easily – A much slower tempo, opened with Sarah’s emotive vocals and beautiful piano. A song that talks about coming to a crossroads in a relationship and being faced with the decision to leave or stay. Laid back, country blues kinda track, sung straight from the heart.
3) If You Ever Wonder – A different rhythm compared to previous tracks, opens with piano. The song tells the story of the realisation of being in a relationship with the wrong person who was never really there for you. Crescendo’s accentuate this song arrangement.
4) Gently (Nashville session) – Gently has sleepy country blues, piano and vocals. The song talks about regrets and learning from previous mistakes from relationships. The dramatics in Sarah’s vocals are somewhat reminiscent of Olivia Newton John in Hopelessly Devoted from Grease. A very bluesy arrangement with lilting piano and guitar.
5) One In A Line – upbeat vibes, a song about not always getting what you want. We get to hear Sarah’s vocals in a higher range compared to earlier songs. Song arrangement flows from start to finish.
6) Wanting Something (Locked Away) – A forbidden kind of love is talked about in this track. Even more up tempo than the last track. Irish vibes, reminds me of The Corrs, with the Violins.
7) Time – soul of country, unique storytelling. Time tells the story of losing 2 babies, a difficult subject to tackle through music. Male backing vocals join Sarah in the chorus to emphasise the lyrics. A different sounding melody compared to the previous tracks, yet still blends in well in the entirety of the album.
8) If My Best Isn’t Good Enough – This song clearly highlights a different shade of a relationship. Lovely guitar arrangement. Questioning a relationship and ones worth being in it. The song is about a combination of frustration related to trying to juggle a relationship career and also trying not to let go of ones dreams.
9) See Overleaf – encouraging a partner to read between the lines, and to try understanding.
10) Alibi – talks about being in a controlling relationship, why do I have to have an alibi, not feeling trusted in a relationship. A strong song to end the album.
You can almost split the album into two halves – the first half shares the happy moments that we all experience in a relationship and this is also reflected in the musical arrangements of each song.
I Don’t Give Up Easily is a wonderful, strong, emotional debut album from Sarah. This is an album that will most definitely resonate with anyone who has faced the ups and downs of a relationship. I highly recommend listening to it, especially if you enjoy listening to the country music genre.
You can listen to the album and keep up to date with Sarah here
Jem Girl at the Piano 