Melissa Robertson – My Beautiful World

CD Review by John Williams

Melissa Robertson is an award winning country/folk performer who writes and performs her own work. She accompanies herself on acoustic guitar.

Her backing musicians are Bertie McMahon (bass, ukulele, bouzouki), Andrew Phelan and Phil Meacham(drums), Rebecca Jane Daniel (violin), D. Newton (electric lead guitar) and Andy Busuttil (flageolet). This is her second CD and includes the award winning title song ‘My Beautiful World’. This is a positive, upbeat track, a feeling that permeates several tracks on the CD. ‘I Love My Country Boy’ is a bouncy sing-a-long track that deserves regular airplay. The song ‘Daddy’ was thought provoking. Three of the tracks, ‘Ride Of Your Life, ‘Deep In The Ground’ and ‘Wouldn’t Be Without You’, have been shortlisted for in the Australian Songwriters Association Competition in the past couple of years.

Melissa’s voice is powerful, pleasant and easy to listen to but very occasionally she falls into the country singer’s “American” vowels trap which I found a shame in an otherwise excellent singing performance. It isn’t necessary for success in this day and age, just ask Sara Storer.

Melissa wrote ten of the twelve tracks on this CD and performs all vocals on the CD.

In addition she performs Pete Seeger’s ‘Where Have All The Flowers Gone?’ and the Johnny Nash classic ‘I Can See Clearly Now’. Both renditions do justice to these classics.

It would have been nice to have had the lyrics included on the CD but that is just a small criticism.

If you like country/folk you’ll like this CD.