Estelle - Shine (track by track)
Apr. 8th, 2008 02:06 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
katstevens.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
poptimistsWe haven't talked about Estelle's album yet, have we?
Wait A Minute (Just A Touch): A subtle scratchy opener, with Estelle proving she is Most Definitely Not Joss Stone by chuntering out some trip-hop rhyming. "We can take our time, we don't have to rush you know." Not particularly banging but very nice nonetheless.
No Substitute Love: Hahaha it's a 'Faith' answer record! Seriously, she's flipping George Michael's words round to bite him. Denim jukebox, acoustic guitar and leather jacket all present and correct. The finish is still very murky, like it's been mastered in a feather duvet. Perhaps my headphones are buggered?
American Boy: Ah ok it's the computer output that's buggered, my mp3 player headphones sound rub too. ignore that last bit. It's a shame, because I can feel the lovely smooth soul production underneath screaming to get out. We all know this by now yes? Kanye does say 'fvck' on the album version, hurray.
More Than Friends: Piano heavy schmooooooove but with TONS of lovely vernacular over the top! More records should contain the line 'taking the piss'. The opening is very oldskool Ray Charles, I can picture the backing singers crowding round a single microphone wearing those awful fluffy collared dresses.
Magnificent: This is a Mark Ronson production, apparently. Top notch skanking reggae with Estelle's dreamy sing-song chorus crooning over the top. My favourite so far (except American Boy obv), it even has a dude toasting for a verse [liner notes say Kardinal Offishall, is he famous for anything else in particular?]. I think they should have roped in General Levy for some 'wickid's.
Come Over: More reggae but Estelle is much higher in the mix this time - it's more straightforward summery loping along rather than the previous track's 6am tail-end-of-ruinious-beach-party vibe. There's less 'Lahndahn' in this as well - Estelle's strong point is her personality and it's not really coming through here.
So Much Out They Way: That's more like it! This one's totally En Vogue put through a fecking big soundsystem. It's booming and banging and funky and she's got her rant on proper like. I hate the word funky though. "I don't think there's nobody else who can do it like Estelle." Maybe Martina Topley-Bird, hahahahaha. Hang on WTF Wyclef shows up for the last five seconds to say "the sleeping giant has risen." HEIN?
In The Rain: I can't fault Estelle's voice throughout this album, it's creamydreamyfloatysmooth and hypnotic in places, and then suddenly she chops it up with a bit of rapping. I don't think the song can really keep up with her here though it's doing it's damndest to be MENTAL with Akon squeaky sample noises all over the place, blimey. This is the first one I've wanted to skip. But then I would have missed the thunderstorm noises at the end.
Back In Love: Swimming in treacle. I think this one will need a few listens to get hooked in properly - again, I can't fault the lovely melody or the quality of her voice but the plodding gloop doesn't do her any favours and I'm starting to get a bit sick of it.
You Are: Aaarrrgh it's a sickly smooth duet with John Legend. They should have just done a cover of 'Baby It's Cold Outside' and have done with it. Skip.
Pretty Please (Love Me): Ah, this is the one with Cee-Lo on it. It's more upbeat and none the worse for it. Good chorus hook and Estelle gets a chance to properly let rip and show us what her voice can do. It feels much more relaxed somehow?
Shine: This is the only track on the album that feels vaguely sad (as opposed to 'hurray I'm singing a song!' joyful or 'oi get yr arse over here' angry). Here Estelle sounds actually disappointed with dudes who have let her down. It's not so much 'fvck you r4c1st music industry' but 'dudes, I managed it but it's so depressing that I had to do it like I did'. I dunno if I'd be reading all this into the track if I didn't know about the context, but to me, "I'm gonna shine while my light's on, just like you, I got to stay strong" sounds cautious and bleak rather than celebratory.
Overall: I dunno if John Legend was such a good producer choice for Estelle musically, although it DEFINITELY will be in terms of selling records to the widest audience possible, which I guess is a concern for any artist trying to establish themselves in a tricky market, let alone one who's had their fingers burned before. Her contributions to this album are awesome but around half of the backing tracks just can't keep up. The stand out tracks are definitely Ronson's and will.i.am's sample-heavy beats, the rest are so *similar* - not exactly filler, but nothing that's going to set the world on fire.
I think 7/10 is a fair score.
Wait A Minute (Just A Touch): A subtle scratchy opener, with Estelle proving she is Most Definitely Not Joss Stone by chuntering out some trip-hop rhyming. "We can take our time, we don't have to rush you know." Not particularly banging but very nice nonetheless.
No Substitute Love: Hahaha it's a 'Faith' answer record! Seriously, she's flipping George Michael's words round to bite him. Denim jukebox, acoustic guitar and leather jacket all present and correct. The finish is still very murky, like it's been mastered in a feather duvet. Perhaps my headphones are buggered?American Boy: Ah ok it's the computer output that's buggered, my mp3 player headphones sound rub too. ignore that last bit. It's a shame, because I can feel the lovely smooth soul production underneath screaming to get out. We all know this by now yes? Kanye does say 'fvck' on the album version, hurray.
More Than Friends: Piano heavy schmooooooove but with TONS of lovely vernacular over the top! More records should contain the line 'taking the piss'. The opening is very oldskool Ray Charles, I can picture the backing singers crowding round a single microphone wearing those awful fluffy collared dresses.
Magnificent: This is a Mark Ronson production, apparently. Top notch skanking reggae with Estelle's dreamy sing-song chorus crooning over the top. My favourite so far (except American Boy obv), it even has a dude toasting for a verse [liner notes say Kardinal Offishall, is he famous for anything else in particular?]. I think they should have roped in General Levy for some 'wickid's.
Come Over: More reggae but Estelle is much higher in the mix this time - it's more straightforward summery loping along rather than the previous track's 6am tail-end-of-ruinious-beach-party vibe. There's less 'Lahndahn' in this as well - Estelle's strong point is her personality and it's not really coming through here.
So Much Out They Way: That's more like it! This one's totally En Vogue put through a fecking big soundsystem. It's booming and banging and funky and she's got her rant on proper like. I hate the word funky though. "I don't think there's nobody else who can do it like Estelle." Maybe Martina Topley-Bird, hahahahaha. Hang on WTF Wyclef shows up for the last five seconds to say "the sleeping giant has risen." HEIN?
In The Rain: I can't fault Estelle's voice throughout this album, it's creamydreamyfloatysmooth and hypnotic in places, and then suddenly she chops it up with a bit of rapping. I don't think the song can really keep up with her here though it's doing it's damndest to be MENTAL with Akon squeaky sample noises all over the place, blimey. This is the first one I've wanted to skip. But then I would have missed the thunderstorm noises at the end.
Back In Love: Swimming in treacle. I think this one will need a few listens to get hooked in properly - again, I can't fault the lovely melody or the quality of her voice but the plodding gloop doesn't do her any favours and I'm starting to get a bit sick of it.
You Are: Aaarrrgh it's a sickly smooth duet with John Legend. They should have just done a cover of 'Baby It's Cold Outside' and have done with it. Skip.
Pretty Please (Love Me): Ah, this is the one with Cee-Lo on it. It's more upbeat and none the worse for it. Good chorus hook and Estelle gets a chance to properly let rip and show us what her voice can do. It feels much more relaxed somehow?
Shine: This is the only track on the album that feels vaguely sad (as opposed to 'hurray I'm singing a song!' joyful or 'oi get yr arse over here' angry). Here Estelle sounds actually disappointed with dudes who have let her down. It's not so much 'fvck you r4c1st music industry' but 'dudes, I managed it but it's so depressing that I had to do it like I did'. I dunno if I'd be reading all this into the track if I didn't know about the context, but to me, "I'm gonna shine while my light's on, just like you, I got to stay strong" sounds cautious and bleak rather than celebratory.
Overall: I dunno if John Legend was such a good producer choice for Estelle musically, although it DEFINITELY will be in terms of selling records to the widest audience possible, which I guess is a concern for any artist trying to establish themselves in a tricky market, let alone one who's had their fingers burned before. Her contributions to this album are awesome but around half of the backing tracks just can't keep up. The stand out tracks are definitely Ronson's and will.i.am's sample-heavy beats, the rest are so *similar* - not exactly filler, but nothing that's going to set the world on fire.
I think 7/10 is a fair score.
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no subject
Date: 2008-04-08 01:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-08 01:23 pm (UTC)Also purchased at lunchtime
Date: 2008-04-08 01:31 pm (UTC)Re: Also purchased at lunchtime
Date: 2008-04-08 01:36 pm (UTC)Re: Also purchased at lunchtime
Date: 2008-04-08 01:44 pm (UTC)Re: Also purchased at lunchtime
Date: 2008-04-08 01:48 pm (UTC)Ain't no Sunshine
Date: 2008-04-08 05:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-08 01:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-09 12:20 am (UTC)