You may not know Gemma Hayes, but Kevin Shields sure does. The maestro of My Bloody Valentine lends his distorted axe to two songs on Hayes’ new album, The Hollow of Morning. But the Irish songstress is plenty swell in her own right: Nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize for her 2002 debut, she airs truthful sentiments against a lush, melancholy backdrop throughout Morning. “Your face is home,” she exhales on “Home” before opening up even more on “In Over My Head.” With help from co-producer David Odlum, she melds the heart of a singer/songwriter with shoegaze-y aesthetics, which should make for an interesting contrast when she opens for lean, mean post-punk icon Joe Jackson.
Fri., Oct. 17, 8 p.m., 2008
