Launching her debut album with a sold out in-store performance at Assai Records in Edinburgh last night, Rianne Downey described herself as ‘giddy’ at finally having ‘The Consequence of Love’ released into the world.
The last few years have been a whirlwind for the singer from Bellshill in Scotland, going from busking and sharing her music online to headlining festivals, after being chosen by legendary Paul Heaton to sing in his band.
Now she’s stepping into the spotlight herself with this country inspired collection of beautiful songs about love, loss, home and finding your own way.
The crowd at the in-store was the kind of eclectic mix of fans that is always heartening to see – from young girls right through to older couples. Rianne has the infectious energy and personality of a young pop star but she has honed an acoustic folk pop sound which appeals beyond her own age bracket.
The first track on this album ‘Good in Goodbye’ is a total barnstorming breath of fresh air – the rousing reception this one received suggests it’s a perfect live song too. There’s echoes of influences like Noah Kahan and Brandi Carlile in this one, with the album having been produced by Brandi’s collaborator Ryan Hadlock at his Bear Creek studio in Seattle.
Along with that Americana vibe, the album also honours her Scottish heritage, with ‘The Song of Old Glencoe’ mixing Scottish folk music with a more modern style of production, perfectly showcasing the haunting beauty of her vocals. The other song on the album which references home is the album closer ‘Heart of Mine’ which tells the tale of her busking on the streets of Glasgow and how far she’s had to go in order to make it, with the relationship sacrifices necessary along the way.
Rianne’s tone never sounds heavy even when singing ballads, turning the lessons from her life into heartfelt moments. For example on the title track ‘The Consequence of Love’ she sings with honesty about the pain of grieving relationship breakups and losing people who are still alive (she dedicated the song to her Granny who has dementia). Her voice on all these songs is like a comforting balm. She’s similarly sanguine on the stunning ‘Lost in Blue’ which is one of a handful written with her guitarist Nathaniel Laurence – you can also hear a lovely Dolly Parton influence on this one.
The stand out song on the album is ‘Angel’ which Rianne explained she wrote alone in her bedroom in a moment of almost divine inspiration, meaning the guitar picking part is so complicated she can’t even play it live herself. This turns out to be an unexpectedly good thing as it allows for her to step forward and really showcase her phenomenal vocal range and talent. When I heard her sing this one on TV in the summer at Belladrum it sounded like an instant classic and the recorded version lives up to that promise.
Another early fan favourite from the album is ‘Sunblind’ which really leans into the country influence with some fine fiddle and banjo to match the upbeat joy of the lyrics. ‘Blue Eyes Burnin’ with its ‘it’s a beautiful life’ refrain also captures that sense of positivity which blazes through this whole album (perhaps it’s also a wee nod to fellow Scot Amy MacDonald who Rianne has covered previously too).
In Scotland we don’t often get many sunny days, but when they happen we really appreciate them. ‘The Consequence of Love’ is like that rare and precious glint of Scottish sunshine. Seek it out and bask in the sweet glow.
Highway Queens 
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