Album Assessments: Chantal Claret & Sophie B Hawkins

No need for an extended waffle from me today. Let's just all try to keep our heads down and survive Friday 13th shall we? To aid with this survival, I have picked two phenomenal albums you need to have in your life to make your day infinitely better. Ecoutez and enjoy!

Chantal Claret ~ The One, The Only:

Stand by to be stunned because Chantal Claret's debut album is an instantly addictive, charmingly engaging, witty sassy updated take on the 60s femme-pop sound. There is certainly loving heritage within the production of the tunes which keeps each song contemporary, yet is built around that organic, live sounding instrumentation used before the days of studio trickery. Her lyrical content gives a fresh insight into the modern day relationship, while building on the sass & commentary that girl groups initiated in songs like Love Child & Sweet Talking Guy. However, amidst the delightful stereo production values, perky melodies and convivial feel of the album, it's the appeal of Chantal that holds everything together, elevating the experience to giddy new heights. Her nuanced vocal performance and love of the genre create a superior listening experience that lingers with you long after the cd is over.

The intro track creates the illusion that conceptually you are at a Chantal Claret live event and thus, each track has the live band feel to it that gives stark contrast to the blips and beats dominating today's chart. Bite Your Tongue is an excellent example of how well this works - set around a thrusting, percussive drum beat, Chantal chastises an errant lover for their self destructive talk. With an edge to her voice that gives the track an air of looming danger, it races along with a vibrant energy. Similarly, Pop Pop Bang Bang exudes personality in every note of her delivery and this radiates with every kicky jump rope beat & quirky chanted (chantaled?) lyric. It's a definite hand clapper and each beat, every note inveigles it's way into your synapses, gripping on and never letting go. Two things that shine forth about the track - one is the sixties influence mixed with eighties nostalgia but in a forward thinking nu-pop way; secondly how the perky, sunny backing track is the perfect juxtaposition to the darker lyrics and wonderfully almost S&M themed video (above). Pleasure Seeker is a song infused with a ferocity and honesty that demonstrates how the sins of the father will often manifest in the daughter.

It's hard to pick out all the highlights of the album because there is no filler here. Honey Honey quite literally dazzles from the first addictive note. Saturated with tambourine shaking, a thrusting ba-ba-beat, tinkling piano & a vocal that is produced in a mono-style to match the vibe of the song, it's gloriously romantic & hopeful. Throw in a key change and I'm in a musical utopia that has me hitting repeat every time I hear it. It's definitely the most optimistic song on the album, yet there is still an edge of warning hidden within the lyrical content. No Love Lost perfectly mirrors what acts like Abba were so brilliant at - providing a sweet musical setting as a juxtaposition for the darker, introspective lyrics. Glorious backing vocals really make this track shine over it's bouncy, summery instrumental. Never Gonna Let You Go has this wonderful spoken intro that leads into a soaring, uplifting, horn driven track with a lovely romantic, seductive vocal from Chantal. Oh so very lovely indeed.

Timeless and classic, the album is a real treat for fans of clever lyrics, heavenly melodies, sumptuous arrangements, all delivered by someone who performs with an absolute passion for the genre they are performing. Truly one of the stand out albums of the year...
Potential singles: Pop Pop Bang Bang, Honey Honey, Never Gonna Let You Go, No Love Lost

Sophie B. Hawkins ~ The Crossing:

I loved Sophie B Hawkins ever since Q Magazine bizarrely described her as "an omni-sexual Debbie Gibson" back in 1992. Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover was one of the first songs that taught me if you played pop songs on the piano you could increase your chances of getting boys, so my loyalty to Sophie was cemented from that moment on. She's now returned with her fifth studio album, The Crossing, which offers up a significant artistic development, yet with enough of her signature sound that has kept fans captivated for 20 years. It's a delicate line to balance and one that Sophie pulls off with integrity and grace.

Lead off track and single-ready Betchya Got A Cure For Me introduces a bluesy rasp & an organic, live sounding backing track with some edgy guitar riffs & beautifully layered, sweeping orchestral strings. Sophie's vocal is impassioned and theatrical, reacting perfectly to the lyrics that dictate her lover is both cause and cure for her symptoms. Sinnerman is almost a manifestation of the gutteral emotion that Sophie pours into this wiccan sounding tune. It's both daring and challenging, an incantation bought to musical life with tribal chanting & a strangely alluring, compelling atmosphere about it. Difficult to define, hard to ignore, it's one of the most evocative, provocative songs I've heard this year.

If you're looking for something more radio friendly, there's plenty of reward to also be found. Georgia is set over a simmering melody, seductive lyrics drawing you in as Sophie even manages an Angelina Jolie shout out. The chorus is as sweet as sugar with a softly delivered vocal that weaves it's way around the romantic sentiments like alchemy come to life. I like the way that thought seems to have gone into the drawn out notes. In Betchya, it's on the word "cure", indicating the importance of that solution. In Georgia, it's on the word "you" (after "i love"). Love is a desired necessity of life, but it's the "you" that can make it dizzyingly euphoric. Missing is a huge ballad that easily matches the passion & realism of tracks like As I Lay Me Down and Ballad of Sleeping Beauty. It crescendos into a frenzied release of emotive energy, so personal and heartfelt that it makes the listener the confidant, drawing them into the experience.

Indeed, there are a variety of musical styles to be sampled on The Crossing, yet all are held together by the incredibly consistent vocals from Sophie. Miles Away is a stark, stripped back, haunting ballad with delicate, flowing piano; the shuffling, smoky nightclub appeal of I Don't Need You soon becomes an anthemic call to arms for anyone spurned; and lovely languid Dream St & Chance offers up a timeless jazz-piano feel that provides the perfect complement to Sophie's studied vocal. It's ever so beautiful and just a bit heartbreaking. For those wanting some nostalgia, there are swooning versions of Damn & As I Lay Me Down (the former putting my piano version to shame). Overall, a fine addition to Sophie's impressive canon of work & genuinely rewarding listening experience.
Potential singles: Betchya; Georgia; Miles Away; I Don't Need You