6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It feels like home..., August 20, 2002
This review is from: Hometime (Audio CD)
It's been some time coming but "Hometime" turns out to be the best album of Alison Moyet's career. With The Insects at the production helm (see also Goldfrapp and Massive Attack), the sound is elegant and chilled. The marriage between their Bristol savvy and Moyet's organic songwriting style is something of a heaven-made match, the progeny of which is a stylish set of smoky chansons, moody beats and aching beauty. The long time since Moyet's last album (1994's under appreciated "Essex") has been put to good creative use and, despite ranking commerciality way down her list of priorities, she has created a set rich in potential hit singles. Truly, the woman has never sounded better.
Since the days of Yaz, Alison Moyet has been regarded as one of the finest British singers. Now the time has come to add 'songwriter' to that title. Witty, intelligent and, at times, poetic, the Moyet compositions have meat on their bones. There is melody and substance alongside that inimitable diva style. "If You Don't Come Back To Me", a Bond-theme in waiting, typifies this, in its string-drenched beauty and haunting broodiness. The title track is an intoxicating mix of trippy, swampy jazziness delivered with Billie Holliday-esque panache, while "More" hitches Moyet's chocolate voice to a taut, moody beat yielding quirkily addictive results. The gorgeously sweeping first single "Should I Feel That It's Over?" is a lesson in creating simple, timeless pop. The overall mix is enriched by a couple of songs by other writers, including "Do You Ever Wonder" in which Moyet claims Dusty Springfield's crown, and "Say It" blends modernity with a hint of Bacharach/David zing.
This version of the album includes French versions of "More" ("Bilan") and "If You Don't Come Back To Me" ("Si Tu Ne Me Reviens Pas"). More than mere 'extras', these tracks take on a life of their own. "Bilan" exudes a robust sexuality while "Si Tu Ne Me Reviens Pas" swishes by on a raft of majestic Gallic tragedy. Moyet only occasionally visits her French heritage in this way but, hearing these songs, it seems a great pity that she doesn't do so more often.
This is the return of a rare talent. It really is "Hometime".
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