Blind Faith is the sixth studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes. The album was released on 27 September 2024.
The album was recorded in Dublin and West Cork, Ireland.
Background and development Work commenced on the album with songwriting and demos taking place in West Cork, due to COVID-19 restrictions in Ireland, the production of the album was delayed, however when the opportunity arose the album continued to be produced between West Cork and Dublin in Ireland. The album is produced by long-term producer David Odlum, Karl Odlum and Brian Casey.
During the process of making the album musicians Sam Killeen and Adam Marcello were drafted in to assist with making the album. Longterm friends Ann Scott, Lisa Hannigan and Paul Noonan also assisted with vocals and songwriting.
Release The album was independently released through Gemma Hayes Music and Townsend Music on CD, limited edition cassette, standard edition vinyl, and two limited edition vinyls (marble sky blue and pink marble).
Themes The album contains lyrics about longing, loss, empowerment, freedom and repression.
Artwork On 22 July 2024, the artwork for the album was revealed. The artwork was produced by German artist Dirk Wüstenhagen.
Critical reception The album received widespread praise, with critics calling it one of Hayes' finest works. Montreal Rocks highlighted its "reflective and introspective" nature, blending soothing melodies with emotional depth. The Irish Times described it as a meditative, self-therapeutic album, rating it 4 out of 5 stars. Mojo hailed it as a career-defining record, also giving it 4 stars. The Irish Independent echoed these positive sentiments with a favourable review.
Track listing
Personnel Gemma Hayes – vocals, guitar, piano, arrangement, producer, programming, bassline programming, vocal arrangement, voice arrangement, cello David Odlum – producer, engineer, guitar, synth, beats, bass and vocals Karl Odlum – producer Ann Scott – vocals, backing vocals Paul Noonan – vocals, backing vocals Lisa Hannigan – songwriting, backing vocals Simon Long – photography Sam Killeen – guitars Adam Marcello – drums
Charts +Chart performance for Blind Faith Chart (2024) Peakposition
Release history +Release history for Blind Faith Region Date Distributing label Ireland 27 September 2024 Gemma Hayes Music United Kingdom Townsend Music United States Secret Road
References