Angelique
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Review 1 - The thoughts of a forty something Being of the older generation of soul fan, I’m not always sure that I am the best person to review contemporary material. It is always a surprise to me when I find anything released after 1985 that I truly like. This album therefore came to me as a very pleasant exception. It is a very tasteful fusion of Neo-Soul, funk and jazz. As a man who usually likes his soul to be loud and earthy this gentle album offered a very pleasant contrast and has to be one of the most sensual albums I have heard in a long time. Before listening to the music the first thing I did was to browse through the sleeve notes that contained no less than eight photographs of Angelique. The remarkable thing was how different she looked on each of them, even to the extent that they were unrecognisable as the same person. With chameleon like ability to change her image she reminded me of Whoopi Goldberg, Nina Simone, Tina Turner and even a dark and mystical Morticia Adams on different pictures. Truly an enigmatic lady in more ways than one. One of my main criticisms of current artists is their poor enunciation and whilst there are times when identifying the lyrics on this album is difficult, it is not enunciation that is the problem. Angelique’s voice and tone are crystal clear. The problem is that this music is not of the traditional soul formula with backing singers and orchestra supporting a lead, but of one in which the three elements are blended harmoniously together. As a consequence clarity has been sacrificed to produce a lovely, sexual, all embracing collage of sound. A multilingual performer, Angelique switches effortlessly between French, Spanish and English. The fact that you do not understand a single word does not matter a jot, this is music to immerse yourself in and in which the sound is far more important than content. For anyone over-obsessed with meaning the lyrics are printed in the liner notes anyway. Although confessing to not being an expert in contemporary R&B, this album is like nothing I have heard before, and to my ears sounded highly original. The talented Californian lady not only sings but has also written or at least contributed to all but three of the tracks. For me the best songs on the album are the Latin flavoured Bosa Nova Hotel, an indictment on modern day infidelity and the jazzy re-working of Lennon and McCartney’s “All I Gotta Do”, but the selection of these tracks is tough on the others. It’s really a very lovely and sexy album from start to finish. Review 2 - Not being entirely Au fair with contemporary Soul I decided to ask someone a little more youthful to cast a critical eye over it. This is the judgement of my daughter, as 19 year old student at York University. The varied musical influences on Angelique’s self-titled debut album are apparent from the first song. They include everything from the legendary Stevie Wonder to Bob Marley to a plethora of inspirations from her Mother’s vintage soul and her Father’s jazz collections. Angelique’s voice could be likened to the soft, low tones of Minnie Ripperton and it could be argued that tracks such as “The Box,” perhaps bear resemblance to some of Beverley Knight’s slower offerings. However, in reality Angelique’s deep sensual voice is not comparable to any past or indeed contemporary artist. She does not strive to recreate the soaring powerful vocal ability of artists such as Aretha Franklin, or even Alicia Keys, instead she slips into her own genre in combining sensual, mellow tones with jazzy funk. Angelique also proves herself as a worthy songwriter. It is interesting that the tracks that she penned alone (such as “Falling” and “Bossa Nova Hotel”) are distinctly more up-tempo. However it is her “Take a Look in the Mirror” and the smooth and deeply soulful “No Show”, songs slightly more soulful that create a real impact and deserve real credit. Yet one cannot ignore the cover of Lennon and McCartney’s “All I Gotta Do” which can only be described as spellbinding and one must acknowledge the ease with which Angelique appears to transform such a record into a entrancing soul piece that still maintains the emotion of the original. The album is undoubtedly a triumph, presenting Angelique as a highly talented songwriter whose album of self-development and romance cannot fail but to captivate the listener. Further to her credit, Angelique has been hailed as an excellent live performer and one can say with certainty that she will cause a stir in the market. Each song slips dreamily into another and the album is unique in that there are no “filler” tracks, no low points in what has been described as a “truly enjoyable auditory experience”. I urge you to listen to it. Track Listing Baby Hollywood It Could Have Been LoveI’m In Love Wit’ You All I Gotta DoThe Box Creepin’Bossa Nova Hotel Take a Look in the MirrorNo Show FallingAudition |
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Why Not visit the Authors other Website, 'The Alternative Blackpool Website' at http://www.localdial.com/users/jsyedu133/bpool This Site Last Updated 18/05/05
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