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Getting dropped by a label is practically a rite of passage for an artist, but it's likely that Laura Mvula is the only one to receive the news by email after delivering a Top Ten U.K. debut and an Ivor Novello Award-winning follow-up, both of which were nominated for the Mercury Prize. That's where the singer, songwriter, and producer found herself in 2017. Four years later and with another major label, Atlantic instead of Sony, she rebounds with Pink Noise. It's a wounded if proud and defiant response that draws from vintage high-tech R&B and art pop -- the 1982-1987 era with greatest frequency -- with all sharp edges melted off. "Got Me" is all bounding romantic jubilance like Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel." "Remedy" and "Pink Noise" work low-end cyclonic synthesizers recalling the System and Kashif. INXS-via-Chic guitar wriggles spring up in the latter and elsewhere. A soundtrack for a neon-rich film set in the mid-'80s would do well to feature "Safe Passage," an anthem of independence that gleams and pops, and the duet "What Matters," a tears-in-the-food-court love theme. Mvula's writing is typically to the contrary of what might otherwise sound like an escapist fantasy. The sting of rejection and betrayal, and regret over ceding control, are felt in many of the songs, though she's never so specific that the average listener can't relate. She laments "A provisional kindred soul/Another blow to the ego" in the prowling verses of "Conditional," confronts and teases a fraud in "Church Girl" with "How can you dance with the devil on your back," then delivers an unequivocal protest song with the urgent and scathing "Remedy." While all of those moments are remarkably powerful, Mvula finds another gear for "Golden Ashes," a pulsing and towering ballad that could fill a stadium. Born of dejection, it takes aim at "them scary power people" yet alludes to not just survival but immortality, her voice more robust than ever. "Lemons into lemonade" is an understatement.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
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Troy Miller, Percussion, Additional Production, Percussion Recording Engineer - Stuart Hawkes, Masterer - Dann Hume, Composer, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Electric Guitar, Additional Production - Oli Rockberger, Backing Vocals - Laura Mvula, Composer, Producer, Arranger, Drums, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals, Synth Bass, Synthesizer, MainArtist - Karl Rasheed-Abel, Bass Guitar
under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited.An Atlantic Records UK release, © 2021 Flamingo Records Limited under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited, ℗ 2021 Flamingo Records Limited
Troy Miller, Additional Production, Horns Arranger - Stuart Hawkes, Masterer - Robbie Nelson, Horns Engineer - Tom Walsh, Trumpet - Dann Hume, Composer, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Electric Guitar, Additional Production - Trevor Mires, Trombone, Trumpet - Mike Davis, Trumpet - Laura Mvula, Composer, Producer, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals, Synth Bass, Synthesizer, MainArtist - James Gardiner-Bateman, Saxophone - Karl Rasheed-Abel, Bass Guitar
under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited.An Atlantic Records UK release, © 2021 Flamingo Records Limited under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited, ℗ 2021 Flamingo Records Limited
Troy Miller, Percussion, Additional Production, Percussion Recording Engineer - Stuart Hawkes, Masterer - Dann Hume, Composer, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Electric Guitar, Additional Production - Oli Rockberger, Backing Vocals - Laura Mvula, Composer, Producer, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals, Synth Bass, Synthesizer, MainArtist
under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited.An Atlantic Records UK release, © 2021 Flamingo Records Limited under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited, ℗ 2021 Flamingo Records Limited
Troy Miller, Additional Production, Horns Arranger - Stuart Hawkes, Masterer - Robbie Nelson, Horns Engineer - Tom Walsh, Trumpet - Dann Hume, Composer, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Electric Guitar, Additional Production - Trevor Mires, Trombone, Trumpet - Mike Davis, Trumpet - Oli Rockberger, Backing Vocals - Laura Mvula, Composer, Producer, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals, Synth Bass, Synthesizer, MainArtist - James Gardiner-Bateman, Saxophone - Karl Rasheed-Abel, Bass Guitar
under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited.An Atlantic Records UK release, © 2021 Flamingo Records Limited under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited, ℗ 2021 Flamingo Records Limited
Troy Miller, Producer, String Arranger, Drums, Engineer, Horns Arranger - Everton Nelson, Violin - Stuart Hawkes, Masterer - Robbie Nelson, Engineer - Marianne Haynes, Violin - Tom Walsh, Trumpet - Dann Hume, Composer, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Electric Guitar, Percussion - Trevor Mires, Trombone, Trumpet - Mike Davis, Trumpet - Laura Mvula, Composer, Producer, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals, Synth Bass, Synthesizer, MainArtist - James Gardiner-Bateman, Saxophone - Clifton Harrison, Viola - James Douglas, Cello, Backing Vocals - Karl Rasheed-Abel, Bass Guitar - Daniel Hutchinson, Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals
under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited.An Atlantic Records UK release, © 2021 Flamingo Records Limited under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited, ℗ 2021 Flamingo Records Limited
Troy Miller, Producer, String Arranger, Drums, Engineer, Horns Arranger - Everton Nelson, Violin - Stuart Hawkes, Masterer - Robbie Nelson, Engineer - Marianne Haynes, Violin - Tom Walsh, Trumpet - Dann Hume, Composer, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Electric Guitar, Additional Production - Trevor Mires, Trombone, Trumpet - Mike Davis, Trumpet - Laura Mvula, Composer, Producer, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals, Synth Bass, Synthesizer, MainArtist - James Gardiner-Bateman, Saxophone - Clifton Harrison, Viola - James Douglas, Cello
under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited.An Atlantic Records UK release, © 2021 Flamingo Records Limited under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited, ℗ 2021 Flamingo Records Limited
Troy Miller, String Arranger, Additional Production, Horns Arranger - Everton Nelson, Violin - Stuart Hawkes, Masterer - Robbie Nelson, Horns Engineer, String Recording Engineer - Marianne Haynes, Violin - Tom Walsh, Trumpet - Dann Hume, Composer, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Percussion, Additional Production - Trevor Mires, Trombone - Mike Davis, Trumpet - Laura Mvula, Composer, Producer, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals, Synth Bass, Synthesizer, MainArtist - James Gardiner-Bateman, Saxophone - Clifton Harrison, Viola - James Douglas, Cello - Karl Rasheed-Abel, Bass Guitar
under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited.An Atlantic Records UK release, © 2021 Flamingo Records Limited under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited, ℗ 2021 Flamingo Records Limited
Stuart Hawkes, Masterer - Simon Neil, FeaturedArtist - Adam Noble, Additional Vocal Recording Engineer - Dann Hume, Composer, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Additional Production - Laura Mvula, Composer, Producer, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals, Synth Bass, Synthesizer, MainArtist - Daniel Hutchinson, Electric Guitar
under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited.An Atlantic Records UK release, © 2021 Flamingo Records Limited under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited, ℗ 2021 Flamingo Records Limited
Stuart Hawkes, Masterer - Dann Hume, Composer, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Electric Guitar, Additional Production - Laura Mvula, Composer, Producer, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals, Synth Bass, Synthesizer, MainArtist - Karl Rasheed-Abel, Bass Guitar
under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited.An Atlantic Records UK release, © 2021 Flamingo Records Limited under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited, ℗ 2021 Flamingo Records Limited
Troy Miller, Producer, String Arranger - Everton Nelson, Violin - Stuart Hawkes, Masterer - Robbie Nelson, Engineer - Marianne Haynes, Violin - Dann Hume, Composer, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, Electric Guitar, Additional Production - Laura Mvula, Composer, Producer, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals, Synth Bass, Synthesizer, MainArtist - Clifton Harrison, Viola - James Douglas, Cello
under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited.An Atlantic Records UK release, © 2021 Flamingo Records Limited under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited, ℗ 2021 Flamingo Records Limited
Album review
Getting dropped by a label is practically a rite of passage for an artist, but it's likely that Laura Mvula is the only one to receive the news by email after delivering a Top Ten U.K. debut and an Ivor Novello Award-winning follow-up, both of which were nominated for the Mercury Prize. That's where the singer, songwriter, and producer found herself in 2017. Four years later and with another major label, Atlantic instead of Sony, she rebounds with Pink Noise. It's a wounded if proud and defiant response that draws from vintage high-tech R&B and art pop -- the 1982-1987 era with greatest frequency -- with all sharp edges melted off. "Got Me" is all bounding romantic jubilance like Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel." "Remedy" and "Pink Noise" work low-end cyclonic synthesizers recalling the System and Kashif. INXS-via-Chic guitar wriggles spring up in the latter and elsewhere. A soundtrack for a neon-rich film set in the mid-'80s would do well to feature "Safe Passage," an anthem of independence that gleams and pops, and the duet "What Matters," a tears-in-the-food-court love theme. Mvula's writing is typically to the contrary of what might otherwise sound like an escapist fantasy. The sting of rejection and betrayal, and regret over ceding control, are felt in many of the songs, though she's never so specific that the average listener can't relate. She laments "A provisional kindred soul/Another blow to the ego" in the prowling verses of "Conditional," confronts and teases a fraud in "Church Girl" with "How can you dance with the devil on your back," then delivers an unequivocal protest song with the urgent and scathing "Remedy." While all of those moments are remarkably powerful, Mvula finds another gear for "Golden Ashes," a pulsing and towering ballad that could fill a stadium. Born of dejection, it takes aim at "them scary power people" yet alludes to not just survival but immortality, her voice more robust than ever. "Lemons into lemonade" is an understatement.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:37:33
- Main artists: Laura Mvula
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Atlantic Records UK
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited.An Atlantic Records UK release, © 2021 Flamingo Records Limited under exclusive licence to Warner Music UK Limited. An Atlantic Records UK release, ℗ 2021 Flamingo Records Limited
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