fri 13/12/2024

CD: Katie Melua – Secret Symphony | reviews, news & interviews

CD: Katie Melua – Secret Symphony

CD: Katie Melua – Secret Symphony

Lovely but cautious return from the Bejing bicycle botherer

Katie Melua's 'Secret Symphony': probably not the album to return her to 2007’s heights

The ubiquity of the all-conquering Adele has obscured the fact the her trail was blazed by Katie Melua. She was the biggest UK-based female act in 2007, when her album Pictures became a world-wide best seller. Five years on, with the release of her fifth album, you wonder if there’s room left for Melua.

'Secret Symphony' has the feeling of comfort zones being reinstated

Her last album, 2010’s The House, was produced by William Orbit rather than Mike Batt, the Wombles mastermind who had steered her career up to that point. Although Guy Chambers cropped up on one track, it was mostly written by Melua. Previously the balance of her albums included covers ranging from the unexpected (The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven”) to the less surprising (Randy Newman’s “I Think it’s Going to Rain Today”). But whatever she does, her perceived lack of edge – her niceness too – means Melua is often seen as anodyne. It's a pity, and lazy, as she sings like a dream and her interpretations are always classy and heartfelt.

Secret Symphony is a return to home of sorts. It is produced and arranged by Batt, and there are more covers than original compositions: she has written one track, Batt four, and they’ve written one together. Melua has said that the album is about her finding beautiful songs, and they range from a straight, orchestrated version of Ron Sexsmith's “Gold in Them Hills (the album’s opener) to a dreamy, wistful take of Françoise Hardy’s “All Over the World”. But is a version of “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” really required? However, Batt’s yearning “The Bit That I Don’t Get” is a highlight of her career, as is her own intimate, rolling “Forgetting All my Troubles”. No one is expecting Melua to reinvent herself. Secret Symphony is lovely but cautious, with a feeling of comfort zones being reinstated. It probably isn’t the album to return her to the heights of 2007.

Watch the video for “The Bit That I Don’t Get”, from Katie Melua's Secret Symphony

The yearning 'The Bit That I Don’t Get' is a highlight of Melua's career

rating

Editor Rating: 
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)

Explore topics

Share this article

Comments

Her first album was album was in 2003 "Call off the Search". I love her smooth style and Know Body Knows You When You're down and Out is a bit unexpected. I mean where did they find that song from 1923? But it is a good song. She is so young it's hard to believe it'll be 10 years of her doing this next year. Overall I really enjoyed this album.

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters