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August 12, 2006
Lara Stephen - Up In The Air
For the last week I have been listening to Lara Stephen's new album, Up In The Air, almost constantly. Maybe it's the Winter blues, but this album absolutely matches my mood at the moment. Up In The Air is a melloncollie album, it mixes a variety of styles and the whole album can't be put into one single basket. The closest I can get to pinning this one down is finely crafted noir folk guitar.
What underpins the album's slightly wandering musical style is Lara's amazing voice. She has a beautiful low croon that makes each track work. I'm picky with my female vocalists, but Lara's voice is just lovely - but don't take my word for it. Here's a rundown on a couple of the standout tracks. Lara has kindly made them available for mp3 download on her site.
Hello is the second track on the album, and is most likely going to be what gets the most radio airplay on the album. It's a nice song and I like it - but I think the album has better tracks, like The Lucky One.
Download - Lara Stephen - Hello
Speaking of, The Lucky One is a beautiful soft jazz croon. The production values on the entire record are excellent, but this track really stands out. The recording of the trumpet is evocative, and an excellent counterpoint to Lara's voice. The whole track just works so well. Absolutely velvet smooth.
Download - Lara Stephen - The Lucky One
Up In The Air is perfect Winter listening, it's full of soft spoken folksy tunes without being twee. It's well balanced and beautifully recorded. Lara Stephen has an amazing voice, and you could do much worse than grabbing a copy of this when it's released on the 14th of this August. If you get a chance definitely check out this album.
Recommended.
Website Lara Stephen.com
You can buy tracks online here: Martian Music.com
Posted by funnelbc at August 12, 2006 09:33 PM
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