2013 has been a year of musical surprises. Think Bowie and My Bloody Valentine – plus the imminent arrival of some new Daft Punk material. Now, throwing her hat into that arena is former JJ72 bass player Hilary Woods.

Almost 10 years ago to the day since leaving JJ72, she’s back as The River Cry. In the interim, Woods returned to Trinity College, gaining a Masters in film; on the evidence of this self-titled debut she also honed her songwriting skills to extraordinary new levels.
Recorded on the Beara Peninsula during the winter of 2012, the eight songs evoke the spacious landscapes of the West Cork headland through minimal instrumentation, lush atmospherics, brooding melodica and plenty of coastal references. “Driven to the sea with the troubles of my tears,” she sings. A journey of love and loss inspired reflection by the ocean.
The songs infuse and overlap to form one body. On highlights like ‘Honeymoon’ the sparse piano intro conjures up feelings of winter and wild coastal weather before Woods’ warming vocals and lofty atmospherics take you indoors to open-fire warmth and cosiness. Think Katie Kim or White Chalk PJ Harvey and you’re in the right area. A stunning debut.