Liz Graham

Charcoal on a Canvas is a lively love song about wanting to explore a relationship using sketch art as a metaphor for intimacy. Conveying such a sombre subject, Graham has produced a sound that is infinitely emotive without descending into nauseating dreariness. Continuing the canvas-based art symbolism, Charcoal on a Canvas is brushed with sweeping steel guitars, edgy rock guitars and a simple drum rhythm that includes two-beat drum fills. At least this is how it sounds listening in – the truth is there are multiple elements that are so subtle and blend so well, that they’re not noticeable on their own but enhance the track greatly.

Graham’s love of poetry is evident in the passionate words expressed in this song. Thematically, this is a girl desperate to know where she and her beau are at emotionally against a partner who isn’t as sentimentally affectionate as she is. Displaying a cosy, anecdotal style of song writing in which she even includes quotes, Graham paints a perfect picture (pardon the pun) of miscommunication that has the listener as worriedly confused as the singer.

There’s a rich helping of Joni Mitchell as well as Eric Clapton that make this adult contemporary song both folky and very much soft rock. This song is only a snippet of what this experienced, high selling, multi-talent is capable of, but it’s a great snippet. With many genres so influenced by electronic synthesis these days, it’s always enjoyable to get a little nostalgic and listen to something with a timeless panache.