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Elly Roberts reviews
Dramatico Records
- Cat.no: DRAMCD0007
- Released: September 2005
- Rating: 4/10
Piece By Piece is pretty much a predictable follow-up to her successful debut Call Off The Search.
There’s very little evidence of things moving forward for the Georgian beauty. Mentor ex-Womble Mike Batt is overseeing matters once again, so the lazyformula continues, providing few opportunities for Melua to truly representherself throughout the whole album.
Four tracks penned by Melua herself (tracks 3, 6, 11, 12), four by Batt(1, 2, 7, 9), one Batt/Melua collaboration (4) with the remainderby other writers.
Single Nine Million Bicycles (out September 19), is a floaty ballad by Batt,containing Irish overtones, and I’m not sure it’s the best choice as analbum taster. Halfway Up The Hindu Kush might have been better choice, asit’s a much stronger track.
Blues In The Night is a half-hearted effort at the genre, with herlightweight vocals doing little to give it meaning, though there’simpressive Blues-harp by former Manfred Mann frontman Paul Jones.
Tracks 6 and 7 are wishy washy non-events, followed thankfully by a cover ofCanned Heat’s On The Road Again, which is quite decent.
Thank You Stars (Batt) is the best of the lot, and ought to be her nextsingle – this could actually be a massive hit. She sings this one straightfrom that beautiful heart.
Penultimate track I Cried For You is a real tear-jerker ofa torch song, as she reaches deep to convey the aching emotion.
Radio 2 will have a field-day with the single and album, which willguarantee some kind of success.
There are however, some delightful moments of sheer beauty – particularly onThank You Stars. There should have been a lot more moments like this to makeit a great album.
Verdict – one for the girls.
Weblink:Katie Melua.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Shy Boy
2. Nine Million Bicycles
3. Piece By Piece
4. Halfway Up The Hindu Kush
5. Blues In The Night
6. Spider’s Web7. Blue Shoes
8. On The Road Again
9. Thanks You, Stars
10. Just Like Heaven
11. I Cried For You
12. I Do Believe In Love
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.