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Review: Jack Foley
PROMISING new British singer-songwriter Beulah - that is her
real name - says she was first influenced by music after seeing
The Phantom of the
Opera in London's West End at the age of eight.
She immediately began to recite songs from the show on the train
on the way home and seemed to possess an uncanny knack of remembering
them, despite having only heard them once.
From then on, music has informed her life - so much so that by
the age of 24 (now), she has written her first album, Mabel
& I, winning friends in all the right musical circles
and widespread acclaim.
Recent single, Sweet Kinda Something, is evidence of
what to expect - a poignant yet uplifting record that's dripping
in chirpy piano chords and upbeat melodies, thereby providing
an effective showcase of the singer's honeysweet vocal style.
The Sunday Post described her recently as 'an outstanding British
talent sounding somewhere between Carly Simon, Crystal Gale and
Norah Jones' - the latter especially so.
Beulah's vocals are sometimes delivered in the same whispery
style, while her style of songwriting is similarly laidback, personal
and intelligent.
She is probably best suited to Radio 2 listeners than anything
indie or mainstream, but fans of any of the aforementioned artists
are almost certain to welcome Beulah with open arms into their
CD collections.
Mabel and I, by her own admission, is a record of stories that
reflect her life so far - whether it's sad, magical, reflective
or celebratory.
The haunting piano ballad, Nevermore, for instance,
includes strings by Simon Hale, and was inspired by Gauguin's
painting of the same name at Somerset House.
One theory holds that the woman in the picture has lost a child
and a raven in the background represents death. But it really
'got to' Beulah who based it around a friend who had lost a child.
Similarly, Mary is about an elderly lady who had been
a great dancer in her youth and is a bittersweet track that reflects
the woman's former glory, while being tinged with regret at the
advent of old age.
Miss Me No More, meanwhile, was written immediately
before she began recording the album and is about 'that point
in a relationship when you know it's going to end but you can't
do anything about it'.
All three records are as poignant as you might expect, but resonate
with an emotional honesty that is reserved for only the best musicians.
There are no flashy gimmicks - just soft instruments that allow
Beulah's distinct vocal style to take centre stage; her words
indicative of the feeling that has inspired them.
And while her sort of music won't easily find its way into my
preferred playlist or record collection, there's no doubting that
Mabel and I marks the arrival of a major new talent who
is well worth taking the time to discover (especially if Norah
is already part of your own collection).
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