NEW RELEASE OF THE MONTH
JANUARY 2014
SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTORWANDERLUST
Her releases are always worth a listen and this one- 'Wanderlust' is no exception. Album opener "Birth of an Empire" sets things up well with a new musical direction for Sophie Ellis-Bextor. It's the best track on the new album. "Until the Stars Collide" maintains the new approach to her sound, affording Ellis-Bextor an opportunity to show off her ability. Gone is the often deadpan vocal atop the dance beat. On this album, Ellis-Bextor is at the forefront. "Runaway Dreamer" could just as easily be a 60s song from Sandie Shaw or Lulu. "The Deer and the Wolf" evokes Lily Allen and the like. First single "Young Blood" shifts gears as the mood drops for a ballad. It's not great, but another new angle from which to appreciate her voice. It's a poor choice to introduce listeners to the new approach from the singer.
After the interlude track, "Little Dolls" gets our toes tapping along to its jangly hooks. The standard lifts further with the brilliant "Wrong Side of the Sun". It's the type of song Alison Moyet would have delivered. Ellis-Bextor keeps the interest up on another album highlight (and surprising vocal), "Love is a Camera". "Cry to the Beat of the Band" is uninteresting. Closing track "When the Storm has Blown Over" is another gentle moment and a fitting conclusion.
The strength of this new set of songs is how Ellis-Bextor abandons the seemingly robotic delivery for a variety of moods. Art last, we can appreciate the possibilities of her vocal skills. I get the feeling that we'll be hearing a more interesting Ellis-Bextor from here on. 'Wanderlust' finds her bravely taking centre stage as a fully fledged singer and not merely the guest vocalist on a series of dance tracks. Some will bemoan the absence of a "Murder on the Dance Floor" or "Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)" on this album, but this is a bold turning point that reveals a depth kept concealed until now.