Filed under: album, review, video | Tags: 2008, cyndi lauper, music, sophia rawlinson
Cyndi Lauper
Bring Ya To The Brink •••
RCA
For someone whose name is synonymous with fierce individuality and bucking the trend, it seems pop icon Cyndi Lauper has been paying particular attention to the charts of late.
Despite well-documented comparisons and eventual rivalry early on in her career with fellow pop songstress Madonna, both artists eventually carved out their own niches, each securing loyal fanbases. It’s surprising, then, that Ms Lauper’s tenth studio album takes its cues from Madonna’s new-millennium makeover and is, put simply, a dance record. It’s a brave declaration of a new sound for the singer, not just the shift in musical style but notably in her singing, too; the vocals are considerably muted compared to her past work. With its gentle beats, breathy chorus and occasional guitar sample, ‘High & Mighty’ doesn’t make for the best introduction; instead, it comes across as a rather lacklustre effort that would remain unnoticed had it been released by any other dance artist in an already overcrowded genre.
Filed under: album, review | Tags: 2008, hector zazou, katiejane garside, music, queen adreena, ruby throat, sophia rawlinson
Hector Zazou & Katiejane Garside
Corps Electriques ••••
Phantom Sound & Vision
Queen Adreena
Ride A Cock Horse ••½
Self-released/Teichiku Japan
Katiejane Garside is a busy woman. Not content with heading up eccentric indie rockers Queen Adreena, whispers concerning various side projects have been circulating for some time, including the mysterious Ruby Throat, a group comprising of herself and Chris Whittingham which recently spawned an album, and this collaboration with prolific French composer/producer Hector Zazou. Zazou has long played to the strengths of enigmatic female voices, working with everyone from Laurie Anderson and Lisa Germano to Suzanne Vega and the gravel-gargling Sandy Dillon.
