Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
English listeners went mad for Katie Melua with the release of her debut album in late 2003. Issued domestically in June 2004, Call Off the Search posits the lovely Melua pristinely in between pop, adult contemporary, and traditional American musical forms, with savvy marketing handling the finishing touches. (Think Norah Jones.) It's a comfortable, lightly melodic affair that drinks red wine safely in the middle of the road. Raised in Soviet Georgia and the United Kingdom, Melua has a beguiling accent that colors the ends of her phrases, adding character to her velvety, if occasionally only satisfactory singing voice. She has a nice time with the understated R&B sashay of John Mayall's "Crawling Up a Hill," as well as Mike Batt's "My Aphrodisiac Is You," which is spiced up with barrelhouse piano, muted trumpet, and sly references to opium and the Kama Sutra. The singer's own "Belfast (Penguins and Cats)" opens nicely with a few measures of solo acoustic guitar before it's joined by the orchestral maneuvers that sweep through the majority of Call Off the Search's after-dark cabaret. (Melua also penned a dedication to Eva Cassidy, who she's been compared to vocally.) While the instrumentation is never overbearing, a stoic version of Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" and a couple of late-album pop vocal entries do dawdle a bit in the soft-focus halo that hovers over Search's more easygoing stretches. These selections are perfectly capable, yet pretty obvious, as if the decision was made to sprinkle Melua's debut equally with safety and variety, in case a particular style didn't stick. Still, despite a few detours down easy street, Call Off the Search is a promising debut, and comfortable like the first drink of the evening.
© Johnny Loftus /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From kr133,33/month
Jim Cregan, Guitar - The Irish Film Orchestra, Instruments - Mike Batt, Composer, Conductor, Producer, Organ, Piano, Writer - Tim Harries, Bass - Chris Spedding, Guitar - Henry Spinetti, Drums - Katie Melua, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - Steve Sale, Engineer - Michael Kruk, Drums
© 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.
Jim Cregan, Guitar - The Irish Film Orchestra, Instruments - Mike Batt, Conductor, Producer, Organ, Piano - Tim Harries, Bass - Chris Spedding, Guitar - John Mayall, Composer, Writer - Henry Spinetti, Drums - Katie Melua, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - Steve Sale, Engineer - Michael Kruk, Drums
© 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.
Jim Cregan, Guitar - The Irish Film Orchestra, Instruments - Mike Batt, Composer, Conductor, Producer, Arranger, Organ, Piano, Writer - Tim Harries, Bass - Chris Spedding, Guitar - Henry Spinetti, Drums - Katie Melua, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - Steve Sale, Engineer - Michael Kruk, Drums
© 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2003 BMG Rights Management GmbH
Jim Cregan, Guitar - The Irish Film Orchestra, Instruments - Mike Batt, Composer, Conductor, Producer, Organ, Piano, Writer - Tim Harries, Bass - Chris Spedding, Guitar - Henry Spinetti, Drums - Katie Melua, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - Steve Sale, Engineer - Michael Kruk, Drums
© 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.
Jim Cregan, Guitar - The Irish Film Orchestra, Instruments - Mike Batt, Conductor, Producer, Organ, Piano - Tim Harries, Bass - Chris Spedding, Guitar - Henry Spinetti, Drums - Katie Melua, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - Delores J Silver, Composer, Writer - Steve Sale, Engineer - Michael Kruk, Drums
© 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.
Jim Cregan, Guitar - The Irish Film Orchestra, Instruments - Mike Batt, Composer, Conductor, Producer, Organ, Piano, Writer - Tim Harries, Bass - Chris Spedding, Guitar - Henry Spinetti, Drums - Katie Melua, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - Steve Sale, Engineer - Michael Kruk, Drums
© 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.
Jim Cregan, Guitar - The Irish Film Orchestra, Instruments - Mike Batt, Composer, Conductor, Producer, Organ, Piano - Tim Harries, Bass - Chris Spedding, Guitar - Henry Spinetti, Drums - Katie Melua, Composer, Guitar, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - katei melua, Composer - Steve Sale, Engineer - Michael Kruk, Drums
© 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.
Jim Cregan, Guitar - The Irish Film Orchestra, Instruments - Randy Newman, Writer - Mike Batt, Conductor, Producer, Organ, Piano - Tim Harries, Bass - Chris Spedding, Guitar - Henry Spinetti, Drums - Katie Melua, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - Ransy Newman, Composer - Steve Sale, Engineer - Michael Kruk, Drums
© 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.
Jim Cregan, Guitar - The Irish Film Orchestra, Instruments - Mike Batt, Composer, Conductor, Producer, Organ, Piano, Writer - Tim Harries, Bass - Chris Spedding, Guitar - Henry Spinetti, Drums - Katie Melua, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - Steve Sale, Engineer - Michael Kruk, Drums
© 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.
Jim Cregan, Guitar - The Irish Film Orchestra, Instruments - Mike Batt, Composer, Conductor, Producer, Organ, Piano, Writer - Tim Harries, Bass - Chris Spedding, Guitar - Henry Spinetti, Drums - Katie Melua, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - Steve Sale, Engineer - Michael Kruk, Drums
© 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2003 BMG Rights Management GmbH
Jim Cregan, Guitar - Mike Batt, Producer, Organ, Piano - Tim Harries, Bass - Chris Spedding, Guitar - Henry Spinetti, Drums - Katie Melua, Composer, Guitar, Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Steve Sale, Engineer - Michael Kruk, Drums
© 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.
Jim Cregan, Guitar - The Irish Film Orchestra, Instruments - Mike Batt, Conductor, Producer, Organ, Piano - Tim Harries, Bass - Chris Spedding, Guitar - Henry Spinetti, Drums - Katie Melua, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist - James Shelton, Composer, Writer - Steve Sale, Engineer - Michael Kruk, Drums
© 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.
Album review
English listeners went mad for Katie Melua with the release of her debut album in late 2003. Issued domestically in June 2004, Call Off the Search posits the lovely Melua pristinely in between pop, adult contemporary, and traditional American musical forms, with savvy marketing handling the finishing touches. (Think Norah Jones.) It's a comfortable, lightly melodic affair that drinks red wine safely in the middle of the road. Raised in Soviet Georgia and the United Kingdom, Melua has a beguiling accent that colors the ends of her phrases, adding character to her velvety, if occasionally only satisfactory singing voice. She has a nice time with the understated R&B sashay of John Mayall's "Crawling Up a Hill," as well as Mike Batt's "My Aphrodisiac Is You," which is spiced up with barrelhouse piano, muted trumpet, and sly references to opium and the Kama Sutra. The singer's own "Belfast (Penguins and Cats)" opens nicely with a few measures of solo acoustic guitar before it's joined by the orchestral maneuvers that sweep through the majority of Call Off the Search's after-dark cabaret. (Melua also penned a dedication to Eva Cassidy, who she's been compared to vocally.) While the instrumentation is never overbearing, a stoic version of Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" and a couple of late-album pop vocal entries do dawdle a bit in the soft-focus halo that hovers over Search's more easygoing stretches. These selections are perfectly capable, yet pretty obvious, as if the decision was made to sprinkle Melua's debut equally with safety and variety, in case a particular style didn't stick. Still, despite a few detours down easy street, Call Off the Search is a promising debut, and comfortable like the first drink of the evening.
© Johnny Loftus /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:41:22
- Main artists: Katie Melua
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: BMG Rights Management GmbH
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 2003 BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd. ℗ 2014 BMG Rights Management GmbH
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.