Customer Reviews

Melody

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Melody" is a short but sweet selection of tracks which bear all the hallmarks of some of the most successful music of recent years, with the added element of Sharleen's vocals. We're talking laid back, end-of-the-night tunes that could be easily at home either on the dancefloor or in the background of a late summer barbecue.
The playlist is admittedly brief at around 37 minutes, but that doesn't matter too much, as it's good enough to put on a loop. In fact, with every track a winner one way or the other, the shuffle function might not be a bad idea to keep things interesting.
Generally speaking, quality definitely wins out over quantity on the debut solo album from the beautiful and talented Glaswegian chanteuse.
She is in fine vocal form, with that distinctive burnt caramel carapace pulling at the heartstrings as effectively as ever.
"Melody" is easy on the ear with plenty of sheen.
The 60s-infused Bondesque soul-pop is holler-along-while-you-Hoover fun, but lacks a Winehouse darkness.
Following Amy, Duffy and Adele, here's Sharleen, ex of Texas, with the mandatory Bernard Butler-produced, brassy, Motown-style heartbroken ballads about how her man done her wrong.
Actually Motown's Berry Gordy would find much to approve of in Spiteri's accomplished use of brass and rippling percussion in "Don't Keep Me Waiting", soul-laced harmonies in "You Let Me Down" and the glorious finger-clicking excitement of the Supremes-like "Day Tripping".
As this was intensely personal stuff, it was not something she wished to address on a Texas album. Now, with the band on hiatus, she has been able to pour out all the hurt and betrayal she felt into a succession of 60s girl-group pastiche numbers, somehow managing to say the same thing slightly differently on each of the 11 tracks, all packaged up with an image suggesting she's been stealing Dusty Springfield's eyeliner.
All in all, "Melody" is pretty good - especially the stomping "It Was You" and the smokily atmospheric title track - but, even to those who have never listened to the Supremes, the Four Tops and 2008's other omnipresent influences, it will seem pungently familiar.
The Texas front woman has made her "personal fantasy record", which has plenty in common, at least superficially, with the defining record of the last few years, Amy Winehouse's Back to Black, and one of the biggest-selling album of the year to date, Duffy's Rockferry, allowing the ghosts of Johnny Cash, Nancy Sinatra, Serge Gainsbourg and Elvis to direct the sound.
The glow of nostalgia is achieved, but it's all a bit bloodless..
That's the thing about "Melody" - it's pretty rather than gritty. It's a bit conservative too, choosing to replicate the sounds of the period instead of trying anything novel or adventurous with them.

White on Blonde
The Hush

Melody is a beautiful album from Scottish soulstress 'Sharleen Spiteri'. She fuses soul with pop with ease and the sultry soothness of her voice can warm even the hardest of hearts. My favourite tracks are 'All The Times I Cried', where she dallies with McAlmont&Butler and 'Stop, I Don't Love You Anymore'. This collection, I believe, will stand the test of time and gets better with each listen. You can feel it in her delivery that she enjoyed making this album. Move over Texas, Sharleen is in the house.

As a longtime Texas fan I was excited and apprehensive about Sharleen Spiteri's solo debut. I have loved Texas since I discovered a song of theirs on the "Bend It Like Beckham" soundtrack. I went back thru their catalog and found that they had recorded an amazing number of catchy pop songs that really appealed to my appetite for beautifully crafted and well-produced music. Their greatest hits cd is one of my desert island discs--amazing for a band that I knew nothing about until 2002. So I was optimistic but cautious when I read that Spiteri was recording an album in the vein of Amy Winehouse and Duffy. What a revelation the resulting cd "Melody" is! Spiteri takes the Winehouse traditional soul genre and makes it her own--in spades. From the beginning track until the last one, I am more enthralled every time I listen to it. It is an amazing album by one of the richest voices in popular music. Listen--you won't be disappointed!

Ms Spiteri's album is one of the best albums from a female Pop singer in the last year. Only Joan As Policewoman's album "To Survive" comes close in the Western World, Carla Bruni's recent album is excellent, too.

So if you feel like stuffing all the current crop of female "wannabe" pop singers in a blender, then put all your Duffy, Gabriella Cilmi, Lilly Allen, Missy Higgins, Pink and Sarah Blasko albums in the nearest dumpster and get into something with a bit more class - Sharleen Spiteri's very fine album.

"Melody" is the solo debut by lead vocalist of UK group Texas. Produced by Bernard Butler (he also produced Duffy's debut smash), it finds her mining that same lush, melodramatic sixties blue-eyed soul sound similar to Dusty Springfield or Nancy Sinatra.

It's a real shame that Sharleen will inevitably be accused of jumping on the retro soul bandwagon (presently commandeered by the likes of Duffy, Amy Winehouse and Adele) as she had already (with her group) dipped her toes in this style a decade ago, but no one can accuse her of lacking soul.

"Melody" is an album born out of heartbreak (she recently broke up with her partner of 10 years with whom she has a kid), thus a good chunk of the songs are downbeat swirling string-swathed pieces with lyrics to match; songs like "All the times I cried", the almost Trip Hop James Bond-esque "Melody" ("there's still no cure for you" she sings), the Marvin Gaye-like "I wonder" (lovely soothing harmonies),and "You let me down". The beautiful retro "I'm gonna haunt you" could have been done by Nancy Sinatra.

Upping the tempo are the swinging "It was you", the horn sprinkled "Stop, I don't love you anymore" (sure to get her Duffy comparisons), the Motown-style pair of "Don't keep me waiting" and "Where did it go wrong", and the horn driven "Day tripping".

Standout has got to be the tender lullaby-like closing track "Françoise" with softly chiming guitars, piano, and a hushed delivery from Sharleen. Stunning!!

I must confess, this CD is very uncommercial sounding (I'm not surprised none of the singles has been a big hit) but it's still managed to peak at #3 in the UK and go gold. A very good album which I would highly reccommend to any music lover.

This is the best CD find this summer! I have listened to Sharleen Spiteri Melody over and over and told all my friends about her. Melody is my favorite CD by Sharleen Spiteri so far. I was happy with the purchase and the timely delivery as well as the condition of the cd.

I only found out about Sharleen from an appearance on The Graham Norton Show. She has a wonderful, powerful, yet vulnerable sound to her voice. Very reminiscent of the 60's female vocalists of England and France. If you enjoy that sound, I highly recommend "Melody" and her works with Texas.

I recently saw Sharleen perform on The Graham Norton Show on the BBC America channel here in Oregon. The shows are several years old, but they are new to me. Sharleen sang "All the Times I Cried" and I really liked the song, the lyrics, the arrangement, her voice...so I searched Amazon for her album. Many of the songs remind me of the mid-60's (the way they are arranged, accompanying instruments...I don't know what it is but I really got that impression). And I'm definitely reminded of the great Dusty Springfield when I listen to Sharleen sing.

I saw Sharlene Spiteri on an episode of Graham Norton's BBC America show. In the vein of Duffy & Amy Winehouse, each of the tracks on this cd is good. I heartily recommend Melody. Sharlene Spiteri is one to watch!

Ordered this CD after I saw her on the Graham Norton Show. Great retro sound and voice, something new and refreshing for once. Love her attitude and story about her throwing a drink into Paris Hilton's face at a bar in England. Way to go Sharleen!!!! Can't wait for your next album.