Customer Reviews

Lovely Standards

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I LOVE AMEL. I have purchased all of her albums with no regret. However, I'm not too fond of this one. Don't get me wrong, I love the jazzy atmosphere of the album. But Amel shouldn't be soooo... "breathless!" (for lack of a better word). Some songs the music flows nicely, but the harmonies and scats (or whatever it is that she's attempting to do) just don't flow. It's a total mismatch, in my opinion. I've listened to this album 2 times and I'm a bit disappointed that it isn't the album that I had expected. It hasn't really "grabbed" me just yet. I'll continue to listen and might update my rating, but for now it remains. I'll give her an E for effort, though.

After a couple of soulful and enjoyable albums, on this one Amel Larrieux sounds as if she's channeling Rickie Lee Jones. This music doesn't fit the delivery stylings found here. This is not a CD I'll listen to often. If this is a new path for this vocalist, she'll be traveling it with few companions, I predict.

Amel is a great vocalist and I have all of her albums going back to when she was with groove theory. Lovely standards is an attempt of amel to do a full jazz cd. The cd is ok at best. A lot of the tracks sound the same and I don't really care for the way she delivers the vocals on some songs. I gave the album three stars because amel has a beautiful voice, I just don't care for the way the lyrics are delivered. If it weren't for her melodic voice i would've rated the album lower. Younger than springtime is a good song that has some good vocals and actually the track sounds slightly different than the majority of the album. This album can be relaxing but is caught somewhere between candle lit dinner music and elevator music. My final thoughts are, if you missed this album it won't be a big loss.

I usually don't write reviews on Amazon, but with all the negativity from the other posters, I think my point of view might be needed.

This album is certainly nothing like any of Amel's previous albums so we need to get that out of the way first. It is far less produced-sounding and lets her voice come through with - for lack of a better word - a sigh. The music here is very toned down compared to her previous albums, and her voice is light, breezy, and quiet. This must have been her decision to move back to the basics and to let her voice do the talking, not the music. A smart move on her call with all the heavily-produced fodder being put out today.

Aside from that, there are some moments she lets go, sings more deliberately, and the music builds up in a great crescendo - the effect is something god-like and the short samples cannot give any clear indication of how this works out. It's almost like watching the sun to come up on a cool winter's morning.

I'd finally like to comment on those who do not think she has a good enough voice to sing these songs. Her voice is not as deep as most of the singers that she is trying to emulate. Since she cannot sing like them in this sense, she had fit everything on this album for her voice alone - and I believe she did very well. You cannot expect her to sing exactly like the others.

I have really enjoyed Amel's previous work and was gladly anticipating a jazzy album when I realized she was singing standards. Unfortunately, I found that the album was extremely slow and that the enunciation was a tad off. I had to pay close attention just to figure out what she was saying. Overall, I love a great jazz vocalist. Sadly, this CD did not fit the bill.

"Lovely standards" is Amel Larrieux's fourth release, following a trio of neo soul classics. As its name implies, it comprises covers of standards, most unknown by me. Stripped down to mainly piano, guitar, and some bass, the sound is slow and delicate, the perfect companion to a candle lit dinner. While her phrasing may not be like that of Ella or Billie (as many have pointed out), she does bring her touch to the songs with her breathless, airy delivery and stripped sound. I'm not surprised most do not like this as it is so far removed from her fuller edgier experimental sound, but I'm always open to change.

It is difficult to pick favourites as most of the songs sound alike the first few times you listen. However, I will touch on some of the songs in an attempt to describe the sound.

"Wild is the wind" is stunning and so dreamy with just piano and guitars. My all time favourite version of this song (which was also the first version I heard) is David Bowie's, so I was curious to hear what she would do to this brilliant song, and she pulls it off with her airy delivery (sounding like Norah Jones in parts). This is my favourite song on the album.

"Shadow of your smile" features just delicately plucked guitars as a backdrop to her cascading vocals, while "You're my thrill" has a fuller sound with its tinkling pianos, bass, and whispery percussion. Given a similar treatment are the lovely pair of "Try your wings" and "Lucky to be me" (the latter featuring her most unreined vocals on this album). Closing cut "I like the sunrise" is also given the piano/guitar treatment, but builds to a crescendo with echoing vocals soaring to the sky it seems, against gently crashing cymbals and a throbbing bassline.

Like another reviewer stated, she gives a much more restrained delivery to the songs, unlike on her other albums. I don't know if I can call this jazz. They are covers of jazz standards, yes, but think more of Norah Jones style. This sounds to me like something she wanted to get off her chest, she definitely didn't do this for more album sales or fans. I applaud her for taking the risk but I must admit, I don't think I would like this album as much if it weren't her singing. It's her beautiful voice that lifts these songs above drab to me. Nice one Amel, now back to Neo Soul...

One word that can describe this compilation, is 'substantial'. Such substance and richness is not often tasted, in an industry where the finest taste - is often spoiled.

I am apalled to see that some cannot comprehend Amel's artistry. Amel is not one of these 'accessible' artists that you have come to expect. Often we are so used to second-rate garbage, that we truly do not know how to ascertain quality.

I am so glad to see that once again this magnificent vocalist BLAZES trails rather than follows them. I could have sworn that I heard the echoes of the Beatnick era of the 60s - whistling through my speakers. A blahzay, and plaintive Amel Larrieux - chanelling John Coltrane with her slender (slight) vocals. Black turtleneck sweaters and bongos, berets and dark glasses. Billowing cigarette smoke swirling around "You're my Thrill". Such ecstacy, and the pleasure was surely mine.

Where would Nina Simone be without a her spirited antagonists, clawing at each eclectic release. Where would the inimitable Shirley Horn be without the stumbling blocks and pitfalls of industry distaste (slow and boring?); or even the great Gloria Lynne (who never recieved her due).

Let us look at this program. Each piece - intentionally uncommon. Each treatment - intentionally unique. Amel does not know how to follow the crowd. Amel is in another realm altogether. Amel is the living embodiment of soul and jazz; the diaspora of world music; the collective understanding of love and loss, pain and pleasure. She represents all that is good that there is. Amel is the Lynn Collins of this era. You will know and remember this album in 10 years. It's too fresh right now.

Albums are not meant to reflect the past - they are meant to illustrate a higher level of futuristic consciousness and creative ability within the artist. Amel is just not meant for 'everybody'. If you cant LOVE her all the way - don't love her AT ALL my brothers and sisters. I'm hurt to see that people can turn-coat like this and sell Amel out!. But just as they say with the stock-market; BUY when the market is down. This album is a CLASSIC, too bad that some people can't see it yet.

Bengali
djbengali@aol.com

The voice of Amel Larrieux is like sweet, whipped butter. In the case of her latest CD, "Lovely Standards," it's spread over some of the most dreamy Jazz tracks with a smoothness and a creaminess not all too common in vocalists today and, at times, reminds me of Minnie Riperton. It also beckons the listener to the nearest sofa or bed to lie on their back and ponder autumn's shedding trees, a peaceful waxing moon about to become full, stars in an indigo night sky or anything else that would bring contemplation and meditation beyond the confines of one's window(s). Myself, I adore this album. I'm an older cat though, but I am also very picky about the vocalists whom I listen to that do Jazz. This outweighs Deborah Cox's "Destination Moon" 10x and seems to remind me more of something Shirley Horn would have marvelled at with pride. Go, Amel! It's cool when ya do sumpthin' different and it's even cooler when u can pull it off. This IS a Jazz CD, so if you're comparing it to any of her other previous efforts, the comparison would be most unfair. Listen with open ears first and then base your critique upon that. Hopefully, it will be favorable.

I love listening to this CD. Especially after a long day at work while I am trapped in my car during my long commute home!!

I think the other reviews are being too hard on Amel. No, she is not a Jazz Vocalist like Ella or Nina. But if you sit back and listen to the flava that Amel is putting into jazz, you would realize that she handled her business. I love this cd. I can think of a few that can pull this off (Zhane, Queen Latifah), but any other female artist could not hang with this type of jazz. I would highly recommend this for a candle lit dinner.