The rural retreat continues - and I managed to get the internet connection to work well enough today that I caught the delightful Elouise have a chat with my beloved Larry Flick on The Morning Jolt. It was serendipity - the connection had been down all day, but just as we were having a yummy lunch, the gods smiled and it lasted all through to the second play of Winner Takes It All. Aceballs. Here's my thoughts on the two new Elouise tracks that will keep me going until Stardust live on 11th September (follow Elouise on twitter here)...
Stardust ~ ever wonder what happened to snow white, belle, princess jasmin et al after the Disney movie had finished? Stardust is their tale. It's 10 years later, the bloom has faded on the rose, they don't look at the prince the same way and he doesn't see her as a doe eyed cheerleader. But there is still magic and sparkle in their world and they are going to sing it out at the Princess bar downtown...Stardust the song feels like it's part of a greater musical canvas that Elouise will reveal as part of her debut album. In that sense, it's like Liza Minelli's Cabaret or Barry Manilow's Copacabana - a song that tells it's own tale, has it's own pathos and passion, yet also fits in as part of a greater aural musical theatre. It begins with an acapella vocal by Elouise prior to some lush piano coming in. This works amazingly well for her voice - you can visualise that Princess bar, a slightly smoky atmosphere, the tinge of sadness in the air but the absolute power and passion in the delivery that makes you feel that a) she doesn't regret these sad memories for they have made her who she is and created her musical aura and b) she's ready to take these experiences and let other people learn from them - and from this, there's a joy in the sadness that eventually gives Stardust a somewhat playful feel. At 90s or so, there's a big drum roll and the song takes on a more jazzy feel with a gorgeous brass section that has a great rhythmic beat to it and perfectly frames Elouise and the swooning backing vocals. Beautifully produced, it soars as an antidote to some of the more soulless concoctions that pervade radio and takes the listener back to a time where gimmicks weren't needed - an impassioned delivery that matches (rather than is swallowed by) the instrumentation and tells a story that is both graceful and yearning. Absolutely heavenly. As an album/show opener (or closer), this is nigh on perfection in the world Elouise (and her musical team) have created.
The Winner Takes It All ~ Weirdly, before I even knew Elouise had recorded this song, I was asking her some questions for an upcoming interview that make me feel quite prophetic right about now. There's always a danger in ANYONE covering an Abba song, no less one that has had it's place most recently in Mamma Mia and a Kylie & Dannii duet. This is a different concoction and rather than producing something lazy that would more than have sufficed (I suspect whatever arrangement there was, Elouise would have carried it off vocally), this production feels uniquely created for Elouise, her album and her show. There is a lot going on in the background, but it doesn't feel cluttered, neither does the stunning backing track take over. It works seamlessly to complement Elouise's vocal delivery... She knows when to show restraint, when to let loose and when to temper her voice just in time to let the song holistically shine. Essentially, the instrumental builds and is continually layered as the song moves and breathes. The second verse is particularly gorgeous with piano chords playing off against strings and a lilting piano melody with an amazing ascending crescendo of notes bringing back the crashing drums. Fireworks explode in the sky with this song. It's instantly become one of my very favourite versions of the tune I've ever heard. "No self confidence - but you see..." becomes a five second menagerie of emotions from fragility, humility and sheer determination. To deliver that perfectly is a testament to Elouise's understanding of the song and her knowledge of how and when to control what comes out of those powerful singing lungs of hers. Expect this to debut high on my chart this Sunday. I'm stunned...
More Elouise at her own site and interview at Bobbypops...
Coming soon: Gravitonas! Darin! Their new videos and interviews :)
