Harriet - Love Will Burn

Buy Love Will Burn here (UK iTunes)

Fresh off the critical acclaim for her still-intoxicating Cover Stories album and ahead of her eagerly anticipated Winter Stories collection, Harriet surprises the Adele out of us with a brand new single Love Will Burn. It's a mid-tempo grandiose ballad that takes influences from the great Bond themes of years gone by and mixes them with Harriet's inimitable ability to infuse the music with a smoky yearning that is both seductive and beguiling. If Harriet felt the spectre of Sam Smith's song weighing heavy in the background you absolutely cannot tell because this evocative piece of music is one of her finest singles to date (and that's quite the compliment considering her impressive musical output to date). Co-written with Steve Anderson and the lovely Tom Butler, it's a song about how passion rules us all, whether we intend it too or not. The lyrics poetically describe how although often unwanted, unbidden, passion lies in all of us and will stir when we least expect it; when it calls to us, we obey because what other choice do we have? Harriet delivers the lyrics of longing and fervor with an aching intensity as the delicate guitar dances around her mellifluous vocal style. As if powered by the strength and magnitude of Harriet's emotions, the song crescendos into a chorus rich in imposing orchestral strings and a noble sounding percussion. "It smoulders inside until the flame comes alive" she sings and suddenly the thought of the edifying and enriching power of love takes soaring flight and we, the listeners, are willing passengers, pulled further into the fabric of this provocative song. As she sings the titular refrain at the end of the chorus, the Bond effect is undeniably exhilarating - the music underscores her with a powerful surge of energy, like the crest of a wave reaching it's zenith all before falling away so the impact is even more emotionally devastating. What this does is show an innate understanding of how music can ebb and flow alongside the singer in a symbiotic relationship of support that only exists to accentuate the narrative of the story being told. It's a truly beautiful and dramatic song that deserves plenty of radio play (Malcolm Prince & Larry Flick I'm looking at you :D) because radio NEEDS more music like this. Once again I'm left speechless and in total awe.