Urban Angel

Natalie Walker | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 28, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Quango
• ASIN: B000T2PRPM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #129,930 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Urban Angel I the most remarkable solo debut from Philadelphia based singer Natalie Walker. A former member of the electronic group Daughter Darling, her voice was front and center on their popular 2003 album Sweet Shadows. On Urban Angel, recorded with producers Nate Greenberg and Dan Chen (aka stuhr) in Brooklyn, Walker has take her music to the next level. All Music Guide describes the album as "funky and elegant at the same time" while Philadelphia magazine calls it "a stirring, sexy record that's filler free". The disc has been embraced by influential California radio station KCRW and reached number-two on the iTunes electronic chart.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Takes aim at the heart September 13, 2007

By Len

Format:Audio CD

Let me begin by saying if you are considering this album, buy this version. The other two import versions sold on Amazon do not contain two very lovely tracks: Crush and the Thievery Corp. remix of Quicksand.

In terms of composition, Urban Angel reminds me so much of my cherished Mandalay Solace album. Arrangements are simple yet rich - filtered only for what conveys thought and emotional while leaving behind the superfluous elements that plague most over-produced albums. Nothing seems out of place. Nothing seems pretentious. Urban Angel is honest music ... music that takes unmissable aim at the heart.

Urban angel is a crafted album with a central theme revolving around facets of love: love lost, love sought, love found, love disillusioned, love unrequited, love that never was. Every track's score and lyrics are masterfully intertwined. Urban Angel is a complete album and not a patchwork of designed-for-radio singles. (As a related aside: The album cover art is brilliantly chosen. The simple sepia photo framing Natalie's unadulterated, beautiful face with her piercing gaze mirrors the musical experience within).

Compared to Daughter Darling (Natalie's previous band who realeased one of my favorite albums, Sweet Shadows), Urban Angel is more stripped down and more emotionally exposed. It's less experimental, more organic and more melodic. With its more universal musical and lyrical refrains, Natalie's solo album should speak to a wider audience.

Natalie's voice is unmistakable. Fans of Daughter Darling will immediately find home again in her sultry but innocent vocal performance. She has a charming tendency to slur her words as if one continuous thought....

Of the hundreds of new albums I've listened to thus far this year, Urban Angel is a stand-out. The more I replay it (almost always from start to finish), the deeper my appreciation grows. I have little doubt Natalie's solo debut will continue to be a staple in my collection. And if you've come so far as to read her album's reviews, I have little doubt you that you will not regret making Natalie Walker's Urban Angel part of your collection too. Read more ›

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Slow Dreamy Ride September 12, 2006

By Rebecca of Amazon HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

"It's just you and me

and no one else..."

More sultry than Norah Jones and with touches of ecstasy (like Beth Orton and Sarah McLachlan) in her vocal appeal, Natalie Walker doesn't just sing her songs, she breathes beauty into her music with an unparalleled charm.

Soft and dreamy, this is an escape into solitary contemplation, memories and sultry moods. Chill dreams throughout keep the music within a relaxing nighttime mood with the appeal of falling helplessly in love.

"Waking Dreams" is a very intimate beautiful and heavenly song that is reminiscent of dreamy safety or a fantasy of a magical life. The layering of vocal tracks makes this dreamy and ecstatic.

The atmospherics in "Circles" is gorgeous and emotionally fulfilling. The ecstasy in her voice really appears in this track.

Quicksand has heavier beats, but the lyrics are still sweet and naďve. "Convincing me that this was really lo-o-o-o-ve." The way her voice reverberates in "love" is cute. She tells a story about believing and then being disappointed. We love her for her innocence and wisdom. "All you do is take" on "Right Here" is blended in with especially high piano notes that emphasize the pain and make the song very pointed. Stunning.

"Red" has a more classical feel at the start, but the music melts like a marshmallow over a flame. By this time you are in such a dreamy haze you can't see straight. "Colorblind" is much more perky and wakes you from your trance. "Not the End" dips you back into the "Right Here" mood. The last three songs sort of slip into the night.

The first time I heard Natalie Walker's voice I had to listen to this entire album.... I didn't take the time to get my headphones and can I say on a second listen, this is so beautiful with elements that appear magical on headphones.

"You are far too much beauty

for this world."

~The Rebecca Review Read more ›

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great solo debut October 7, 2006

By J. Atienza

Format:Audio CD

Nice eclectic mix of genres that's great for night driving. One thing that kinda bugs me is that there are two different versions of the cover song "Colorblind". After buying the CD and listening to it, the album version is different from another copy of the song that I downloaded. Can't figure out where this other version came from (I don't see it listed on any EP's or anything). Both versions are good, the album version sounds a bit more elextronica/trip hop, and the other versions sounds more acoustic.

Anyway, if you enjoy singers like Emiliana Torrini, Niccola Hitchcock, or Norah Jones, you'll probably like Natalie Walker's Urban Angel.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Natalie Walker September 26, 2007

By Michelle A. Cope

Format:Audio CD

My Definition of Electronic:
It's a term that I hear and see a lot of in the pop music category. Electronic - it's not overbearing or overproduced. It's a mixture of music and sounds that give a definite setting for the world our ears often bring to our mind's eye. You can hear the wind blow, the rain fall and heartbeats. The music helps to illustrate the lyrics. Just listen to this CD and you will understand.

Urban Angel by Natalie Walker
Natalie Walker lives in Philadelphia, but she's from Indiana. Oh, it makes me proud to be a mid-west gal. Natalie's first solo debut is fun, elegant, funky, self-describing, romantic, sexy and haunting. Her lyric writing is incredible and the CD's first single, "No One Else", was featured on the HBO series, Entourage. You might also be familiar with "Quicksand" - it was played during the trailer for the film Marie Antoinette.

If her voice sounds familiar, that's easy to explain, too. Natalie is a former member of Daughter Darling. Her voice is so clear and fresh and her lyrics enunciated with sultry sweetness that tell stories and bring characters to life. I love that quality. I have a high respect and admiration for singer/songwriters. As I writer, I appreciate what it takes to envelope a moment in time into a short story. I can't even begin to imagine trying to plot and characterize a song, however, Natalie does an outstanding job on this project.

The first artist I thought of when I began to play the CD was Bjork. I wasn't surprised to find out that Bjork is one of her influences.

Natalie is 25 years old. I remember being 25, um . . . it was, a few years ago or so. It can often be a hard and self-defining age.... However, the maturity of Natalie's music and songwriting is astounding and I look forward to adding more of her projects to my collection. I think I need a bigger iPod!

My Favorites

Crush - Electronic raindrops run through this song. A story of love found or lost? You decide.

Quicksand - I love the sound effects on this piece. I could actually hear sand falling behind the crispness of Natalie's voice. The lyrics tell a tale that many of us have lived, sometimes more than once.

Urban Angel - I have never been to New York. This song makes me want to visit a place described by Natalie as a place of love, protection and perseverance.

No One Else - Do you remember how it feels at the beginning of falling in love? You simply want to pull a giant window shade down on the rest of the world and be with each other? Natalie puts those feelings into melodic words.

Colorblind - Wow! This song is haunting and fun at the same time. I love the lyrics, my favorite being "Taffy stuck and tongue tied".

Thanks to Natalie Walker, I have another great CD to add to my "listen to while writing" category. Read more ›