Each week I am going to write a short (under 200 word) review for an album from my collection chosen at random by iTunes. You can expect anything from Slayer to Salmonella Dub to (Ravi) Shankar and that is all part of the fun. Enjoy.
Week 13: Alice Russell – My Favourite Letters (2005)
Country: UK / Soul, Pop, Trip-hop
British born soul singer Alice Russell’s second album starts on a gentle and tender note with ‘All else can wait’. She saves the neo-soul ferocity for later albums, but for now she is content with displaying her strength through her sweetness. The trendy beats instantly mark this as a Tru Thoughts album, the sizzling blend of jazzy DJ stylings with oh-so-smooth vocals, and Alice fits right at home within this. Special mention has to be made of producer TM Juke who keeps the backdrop interesting and varied without detracting from the main attraction; Alice herself. Sometimes she is backed by squelching electro-funk, other times slinky bossa nova, to ragged hip-hop or even Eastern European violins and plucked guitars (‘Humankind’). Russell makes these stylistic transitions seem effortless and displays a striking amount of confidence for a singer her age. The main drawback of the album is that it never breaks free of a mid-tempo groove, relegating it to “background music” or “morning album” status. Don’t let that deter you though; My Favourite Letters is an easy pill to swallow.
Rating: B-
For Fans of: Lauren Hill, Amy Winehouse, Kylie Auldist
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