Wednesday 2 November 2016

Katie Melua - In Winter


53 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy In Winter here (Amazon UK)

It is a hearty congratulations to Katie Melua whose 7th studio album has yielded her a 7th consecutive top ten smash in the UK charts. What makes this success notable is that it is a departure from the norm, and her first seasonal album to date. On In Winter Katie returned to her native Georgia to record the album with the Gori Women's Choir, a native Georgian all-woman singing troupe. The pairing makes for a bold and cohesive concept album that delivers a collection of songs and carols firmly centered on the themes of winter and Christmas. It also feels like an intensely personal affair with Ms Melua giving beautifully emotive vocals that are accentuated and elevated by the polyphonic spree of the Gori Women's Choir. It gives the listener, in a particularly crowded marketplace of new festive fare this 2016 season, something different, evocative and mesmerising to guide them through the last few weeks of the year...

The album opens with the traditional Ukranian carol, The Little Swallow. The casual listener may know it better as Carol of the Bells - but should not be too quick to dismiss the origins of the song. Performed a cappella here in Ukranian, it is a masterclass in vocal arrangements, precision and lyrical beauty. The fragility of the performance is juxtaposed against the rich, lush tones that Katie and choir create, ensuring that it is an absolutely captivating opening song that is hard to forget. This flows perfectly into a new version of Joni Mitchell's elegiac classic, River. Katie's voice is imbued with an aura of melancholy and yearning, her vocal ruminations unveiling the sadness and hope in this unforgettable lyrics. The choir swathe her singing in a gentle companionship that feels like guardian angels whom buffet her from her own inherent sadness. Add to this the delicate guitar, and it is a breathtaking reinvention of the song that is both nod to the original and Katie's own experiences infused into every aching word. Perfect World sees Katie accompanied by a soothing guitar as she narrates the tale of someone whose innate goodness puts them at odds with a world oft driven by cynicism and cruelty. It could as much be about the Saviour child as it could be about those gentle souls in our lives who strive to choose kindness at every turn. When piano is added to the second verse, it is done with such mellifluos grace that it feels like the song is uncovering some of the goodness Katie so liltingly sings about. Cradle Song sees the choir take centre stage again with another stunning demonstration of blended harmonies, so deftly delivered that it is a gift to listen to. It is no wonder these style of choral arrangements have stood the test of time, surving centuries while the world changed beyond recognition. They are breathtaking.

The commercial takeover of Christmas can often threaten to overtake the real purpose of the season - something Katie details with adroit insight on A Time To Buy. Anyone who has felt the pressure to get the right gift for everyone, whilst battling that inner voice screaming "buy it all" will relate to the lyrics. Cleverly, the choir are used as if the hushed, persuasive and pervasive tobes and this works brilliantly. They are subtly seductive in their task - and isn't that often how we are persuaded to do things?! No persuasion needed to fall for Plane Song. Katie has a glorious ability to turn every day and extraordinary experiences into poetic majesty. Here she brings childlike wishing into vivid focus, chiding the melancholic view that fantasty is not an effective way to escape reality for a while. Her stark yet hypnotic instrumental accentuates this, her melodic tones lifting the elegiac guitar as she dreams big. If You Are So Beautiful has Katie and choir vocally entwined in Ukranian tongue. The language is intriguing and resplendent. Whether you understand the words or not, the emotions speak volumes and break down any linguistic barriers. It is a good metaphor for life - just because you don't understand something does not mean you should not take time to appreciate its worth.

In a perfect world Dreams On Fire, the album's lead single, would (and still could) be a contender for the coveted UK Christmas number one. There is a haunting sadness to the song as the honest lyrics unveil the fears we have that we are not as important to a loved one as they are to us. Katie doesn't deliver this with pleading or begging, more that detached demeanour that comes with devastating reality. Add the choir infused middle 8 that enables rumination and it is introspective elegance (that seems more prevalent in winter) at its most bewitching. Equally captivating is All Night Vigil, a studied yet languorous musical prayer. It evokes images of lofty, torch lit cathedrals filled with solemn worshippers who attend to pay deference to the greatest story ever told. There is a reverence and humility to the performance that can surely only come from a place of organic sincerity. It is fitting, therefore, that this flows into the final song (and much loved hymn) O Holy Night. Sung with glorious pulchritudinous throughout, the choir are possibly at their most angelic yet - making this a fine conclusion to a truly dazzling piece of work.

**Ghosts of Christmas past**
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