Antje Duvekot - New Siberia

Antje Duvekot - New Siberia
2012, Antje Duvekot

It might not surprise you to learn that some pretty talented musicians worked with Antje Duvekot on her third studio album, New Siberia.  Like talent draws like talent, and Duvekot’s band have played with the likes of Paul Simon, Rosanne Cash, Jewel, Chris Botti, Levon Helm and Jonatha Brooke.  The musicianship is indeed first class on New Siberia, but what’s surprising is that Duvekot enhances her already prodigious reputation as an outstanding songwriter and performer with an even more nuanced and mature cycle of songs than her previously critically acclaimed work.

Duvekot opens with the whispering, silky cadences of "Into The City", a song of impending, preventable heartache. Duvekot's voice is absolutely entrancing, smoothly caressing the melody while placing her melancholy assessment of the facts in literate, flowing imagery. "Ballad Of Fred Noonan" recounts the Amelia Earhart tragedy from the perspective of her navigator. Duvekot proves her credentials as a songwriter and story teller in an incredibly nuanced performance. "The Life Of A Princess" is a straight forward and moving statement of being from a young woman who will not be trapped within the boundaries of a fairy tale. The simple approach is affecting, powerful and ultimately beautiful.

"Phoenix" is a plaintive and lovely song about what might have been. Duvekot has a gentle touch here, traversing the gulf between heartache and strength with surprisingly subtle grace. "New Siberia" is best described as atmospheric folk; Duvekot meanders through this song of searching almost aimlessly in a rare miss. "Glamorous Girls" speaks to all those who feel marginalized because they aren't the popular girls. Wisdom and perspective predicts that each will find their time to share in a sentimental little ballad that's sweet and well-written. "Noah's Titanic" is a quietly frenetic story song that's disturbingly wordy. The stream of conscious Duvekot utilizes here is intriguing and almost frantic at times.

"Four Stitches" is a beautiful, imagery driven piece of songwriting that is impossible to shake. New and innocent love is the theme here, and Duvekot sketches her memory here in gently flowing poetry and gorgeous melody. On "Sleepy Sea Of Indigo And Blue", Duvekot invites love from a gentle hand. This is a lovely piece of songwriting that's full of quiet beauty.

If you need affirmation of Duvekot's songwriting finesse make sure you stick around for "The Perfect Date", where everything goes wrong on the way to going write. The light pop arrangement is note-perfect, and Duvekot delivers the story and melody like they were written for her by the universe itself. New Siberia winds down with the quietly lovely "Juliet"; a moment between friends etched in time and song.

Antje Duvekot is a name I have heard over the years spoken in reverence and awe, both for her unerring sense of melody and her sense of timing as a storyteller. It's good to report that New Siberia is strong affirmation that Duvekot has not been oversold. Listeners may not connect with every song on the album, but there is consistent quality and subtle grace in Duvekot's songwriting that is impossible to ignore. New Siberia doesn't bowl you over, but it is the sort of album you'll find yourself returning to again and again. Don't miss this one.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (out of 5)\

Learn more at www.antjeduvekot.com. 

Katherine Jenkins - Believe

Katherine Jenkins - Believe

2010, 143/Warner Bros. Records

Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins is bigger than Celine Dion and the Spice Girls. At least she's outsold both mega-acts in the UK, becoming one of the few recording artists in UK history to score two #1 albums in the same year. Jenkins' seventh album, Believe, dropped in the UK in the Fall of 2009. Produced by 15-time GRAMMY Award winner David Foster, Believe calls on both Jenkins' mastery of classical music as well as her love of the pop form. Long unknown to US audiences, Jenkins' contract with Warner Bros. Records opened the door to the New World, and Believe was released in North American in May of 2010.

Believe opens with "Till There Was You", Meredith Wilson's classic song from The Music Man. Jenkins' RCSM training shows in her diction with consonants so crisp they could be used to chop wood. This may be a distraction for those used to the slurred or often absent diction of your typical pop star, but Jenkins' mellifluous voice will quickly convince you all is as it should be. The bravest and best choice on Believe is Jenkins' startling cover of "Bring Me To Life" (Evanescence). Foster's arrangement cuts out the drums and brings natural percussion out of the strings in a striking contract to Jenkins' vocal line, all while maintaining the edge of the original. It's a true "Wow" moment. The cover of Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" is a bit more formal than the original but maintains the sweet spirit McLachlan's version embodies.

Andrea Bocelli sits in for a duet on "I Believe", remarkable for the chemistry and blend of vocal sounds he and Jenkins achieve together. Jenkins sounds like a true leading lady on Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Love Never Dies", caressing Lloyd-Webbers trademark cadences like she was born to sing them. "Fear Of Falling" plays like a classic Broadway ballad; it's a great love song on its own but Jenkins breathes life into it and makes it walk. Having played well on the pop side of the wall, Jenkins returns to her roots with "Parla Piu Piano (Love Theme From The Godfather)", intertwining the beauty and tragedy of the song in a vocal performance that will send chills down your spine. Perhaps the most amazing discovery for someone previously unfamiliar with Jenkins is her ability to belt with Wagnerian intensity only to suddenly plummet to sweet lyric sounds that are so diametrically opposed as to seem impossible.

Andre Rieu sits in for Aneora Non Sai, matching his violin to Jenkins' voice in a dance you'll want to hear and hear again. Jenkins has a true diva moment covering Edith Piaf's "La Vie En Rose", recreating the Victrola sound for the opening of the song. It's the sort of performance that helps you understand Jenkins' mastery of her instrument, both technically and as an entertainer. Make sure to catch Chris Botti's appearance on "La Califfa", which leads into Jenkins' powerful interpretation of Queen's "Who Wants To Live Forever". Jenkins closes with Adagio, returning to her roots with a simple offering that overcomes aesthetics and reaches for pure beauty.

Katherine Jenkins has serious chops as a classical singer, but her coming of age in Britain's popular culture may cause some serious classical music fans in the US to take her a little less seriously. Don't. Katherine Jenkins masters both classical and pop styles in a fashion that calls to mind artists such as Josh Groban and Kristin Chenoweth. Believe is destined to make a path for Jenkins to concert halls across North America. It's unthinkable that she might be just a British phenomenon. Voices like hers do not come along often.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Katherine Jenkins at http://www.katherinejenkins.co.uk/ or www.myspace.com/katherinejenkins.  Believe is available from Amazon or iTunes.