Indie Light

Debbie Campbell is an Ayrshire based singer/songwriter and musician, and in addition to her thriving career as a solo artist, she also performs as part of the lineup for local outfit The Splinters. Today, I am here to talk about her debut album ‘About Time’ which she says is a “message of hope” to chase your dreams regardless of age or other perceived barriers. It’s a very personal album that reflects her own journey to follow her passions. Debbie mentioned that she worked alongside her partner Robert Neil, as well as Brian MacDonald (of the MacDonald Brothers) and Prestwick based musician Scott Nicol to develop the songs. The album itself was released on 21st October 2023, and you can read on to find out my thoughts. 

‘Never Had the Hunger’ opens fast and hard with a frenzied blend of guitars and drums, that breeze into Debbie’s phenomenal vocals, deep and soulful, and expertly supported by a lighter and softer acoustic guitar undercurrent, and bolstered by heavier guitars and drums which create a superb counterpoint. I already knew a little bit about the vibe and message of the track from talking with Debbie but actually listening to the track is an incredibly rewarding experience, because she’s a passionate and engaging vocalist who absolutely knocks it out of the park with the first track on her debut album.

‘Small Window’ starts off slower, bright and hopeful acoustic guitar plays us in, rich and melodious to perfectly support Debbie’s rich and emotive singing. I liked the rougher almost percussive strings beneath the vocals, they added a texture and energy to the track that made it work even better. I’ll be honest I usually go into these reviews with a positive outlook, and even more so if I already like the person and Debbie is an awesome person, but even if neither of those things were the case so far I’d have nothing but positive things to say because this is an amazing track, and although It’s earlier to say, and even closer to call because this album truly goes from strength to strength but I think this is my personal favourite track on the album. 

‘Beyond Belief’ opens with harmonica and strings, a lighter melody that flows forward, and I have to say again how truly incredible Debbie’s voice is, melodious and bright, and like some of my favourite singers, she straddles the sweet spot between sadness and joy to create truly emotional and impactful music. I particularly enjoyed the instrumentals in this track, they had a sweet folky vibe to them that I absolutely adore. 

‘Confetti’ opens slowly, a building of strings that keep at a nice consistent pace and beat, once again supporting Debbie’s vocals nicely, this track in particular gives her even more to do vocally, a deeper and somehow more powerful touch colours this track and just fills you up as you listen. I think right behind ‘Small Window’ this is another personal favourite on an album that has no bad tracks. Again it has a delightful folky quality to it that is perfectly suited to my preferences. 

‘Wayfaring Stranger’ has a more country feel to it, the opening guitars have a subtle cowboy western feel to it, which really works well, and again we are treated to the sensational vocal stylings of Debbie, that just reach you as the listener. If this is what she’s capable of in her debut album I cannot wait to see where she goes from here because she is blessed with incredible talent, as well as the ability to create clear and emotional lyrics which just stick with you after you’ve heard them. 

‘I Wanna Get Out of Here’ kicks things up a notch, a little faster, a little livelier, with a nice edge to it, that shows yet another side to her music and voice. I really enjoyed this track, it might just scoop the number three slot for my personal favourites on the album, which again is such a hard pick as each song has something unique and worth mentioning. I like the heavier quality of this one though, someone said to me that I’ve got an affinity for ‘sad’ songs which I don’t think is untrue, I like feeling all my feelings and amazing and emotion filled tracks like this work well for me, but I like the full spectrum of emotions, and the richer, more textured numbers like this balance out the softer and sadder tracks. 

‘Eternally’ slows things down again, and honestly Debbie’s voice just fills a room. I’m looking forward to catching her perform live because she’s an incredible talent, and this track gives her room to really show off more of her deep, soulful melodies. I like the piano woven in throughout the strings and percussion. It adds a new energy to the track and works really well throughout. 

‘I’m Lonesome, I’m Lovesick & I’m Cold’ just smashes it out of the park, its punchy and has a nice energy especially as we close in on the end of the album, and once again we are treated to an edgier side to Debbie’s voice, it works incredible well and honestly you just get swept up in the melody and beat of this track. I think it’s playful as much as anything else, and that’s why I like it so much, it’s got a nice sense of dramatic irony and yet it keeps with the core message I mentioned in the intro, that’s been at the heart of the entire album.

‘Love, Love, Love (Never Forget It)’ finishes things of nice and sweet, with a soft, melodic guitar infused track. This was a fabulous number to finish out a truly spectacular album. I especially liked the solo harmony, it really worked for me, and added a lot to the overall track. So I think that’s all I’ve got to say, except to urge you to check out this album for yourself because you won’t regret a single moment from start to finish. 

So that’s what I thought of Debbie Campbell’s debut album ‘About Time’ and if you want to check that out for yourself then head on over to Spotify. While you’re at it, make sure and support the artist by following them on Facebook and Instagram.