• Review Index
  • About Me
  • Suggestions

vinnieh

~ Movie reviews and anything else that comes to mind

vinnieh

Tag Archives: Album No.8

Katie Melua – Album No.8

20 Tuesday Oct 2020

Posted by vinnieh in Music reviews and opinions

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Album No.8, Katie Melua, Music

I promised I’d do some music content on here and now it’s arrived. Below is my review of the new Katie Melua album.

With a voice that just envelopes you in it’s mellifluous delivery and unaffectedly strong nuance, Katie Melua is one of those artists who you feel puts her soul into her work. Her music has always had a different ambience to it, probably stemming from her mixture of pop, smidgeons of jazz and influences of her homeland Georgia. This is most definitely the case with her first album in four years Album No.8; an excellent compendium of songs charting rising and falling love, daydreams and heart on sleeve confessions. She’s recently separated from her husband of many years, but the wise Melua is not making a record that’s purely a pity party. Far from it in fact when one really listens to the lyrical content of Album No.8. Yes I’m sure some of her personal life covered recording of this record, but it is never bombastic or even in your face about it. Instead, her voice is so inviting and tells stories, which completely sells her music beautifully. It never bellows, belts or grows incredibly loud, instead delivering words in an evocative hush that’s bewitching to the ears. If you’ve been ambivalent on Katie’s music in the past, be prepared to reevaluate that assessment with this record.

We open with the string laden ‘A Love Like That’ that bristles with a 60’s ambience and something of a Bond movie sound to it. One can imagine the dark haired Miss Melua performing this in a swish casino or nightclub as intrigue unfolds around her. It’s a lush and cinematic opener that acts as the first indicator of the themes explored here; love, loss, memories and reflection. It’s one of many standout tracks on a record that brims with them. ‘English Manner’ presents a suitably intriguing narrative, pertaining to a love triangle in a refined space . Once more there is something cinematic and haunting about this track that sounds jaunty at first before evolving into an instrumental that’s both arresting to the ears and slightly dangerous too.

Dream like imagery is evoked in the sensationally ethereal ’Leaving the Mountain’ . Taking us on a personal, magical and beautiful journey through a memory of “a forest buried in ice” and “crisp Edelweiss”, Melua’s voice once more entices you in with its gentle observation in phrasing and eloquent ability to reach into the soul on what is one of my favourite on the album. It’s the kind of song you can close your eyes to while listening and be swept up in it’s description. Coupled with the choral strains of ‘Heading Home’, Melua revisits her Georgian heritage and memories of childhood splendidly with an adult understanding of teenage years. The song features a choir in the background, whose voices blend and back up Melua’s already serene voice to otherworldly levels. A country jangle is present in ‘Joy’ that swifts you along on its travels of personal growth, while the gently healing ‘Maybe I Dreamt It’ acts as a great follow up to the aforementioned track.

The jazz infused ‘Voices In The Night’ conjures up a smoky club with slow dancing and red wine. It’s probably the track on here that’s something a little change of pace and I like it for it’s faster tempo and somewhat seductive tone in comparison from the rest of the songs. And that’s meant in the best way possible and is in no way a slight on the part of the slower numbers, those are something special to and form the exemplary backbone of the record.

We find the chanteuse her on reflective form on ‘ Your Longing Is Gone’, that becomes a bittersweet ode to love and loss is a gorgeously performed song that works it’s quiet yet powerful brand of emotion on you. Like the best on the album, the tone here is struck between breezy and melancholy. The slow and slinky ‘Airtime’ ponders how much time is spent on love and its immense pressures for all involved. It’s a resounding success of a song that’s enticing as it is ruminating; burrowing itself into your mind with its lyrical content and languid sound. Rounding out the record is  ‘Remind Me to Forget’ that closes things with a pensive and growing ever closer hope of what lies ahead for her . A pleasing end to the album that feels exactly like the soul lifting following hardship with nuanced strengths. My last point of note is that credit in Album No. 8 must also be extended to the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra who provide the beautiful flourishes to this record that compliment Melua’s already substantial talent and tapestry.

So in a nutshell, Album No.8 is a personal and professional triumph for the talented Katie Melua. She’s baring her soul on this record but not in a trite or hackneyed way. Her main focus is to make this album one that opens her up to the listener with imagination and grace. Some could say that the music is just more of the same from Melua, but I think this album has more of a honest touch to it that marks it out as her most mature and detailed work to date. Just sit back, soak up the gorgeous atmosphere of reflection and enjoy its sublime aura from Katie Melua.

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012

Categories

  • 007 thoughts and reviews
  • Adventures of Satrap
  • Announcements
  • Awards and Achievements
  • Birthdays and Tributes
  • Blogging Community
  • Blogging Questions
  • Creepy
  • Gif Posts
  • Humour
  • Movie and Television Trivia
  • Movie opinions and thoughts
  • Movie Reviews
  • Music reviews and opinions
  • Photography Discussion
  • Rest In Peace
  • Sport
  • Television Opinions
  • Television Reviews
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
March 2021
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  
« Feb    

Tags

007 1940's 1950's 1960's 1970's 1980's 1990's 2000's 2010's Action Adventure Announcement Based on a true story Bernard Lee Bette Davis Birthday Blogs You Should Follow Carry On Movies Cate Blanchett Comedy Crime Desmond Llewelyn Drama Fantasy Foreign Language Film Gillian Anderson Happy Birthday Horror James Bond Judi Dench Julianne Moore Julia Roberts Liebster Award Lois Maxwell Madonna Maggie Smith Matthew Fox Meryl Streep Michelle Pfeiffer Music Musical Mystery Natalie Portman Neve Campbell Period Drama Psychological Horror Psychological Thriller Rest In Peace Romance Romantic Comedy Science Fiction Spy Supernatural Horror Thriller

Top Posts & Pages

Lyric Analysis - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Kylie Minogue: Where the Wild Roses Grow
Which Actors and Actresses Seem to Get Naked A lot on Film?
A Collection of Butts
Love Your Bum
Carry On Sergeant
A Post for Cici
Shoot Em Up
7 Year Blog Anniversary
Beyoncé's Sexiest Videos
Valentine
Follow vinnieh on WordPress.com

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×
    Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy