Reviews
Artist: Soiree
Album: Serenading The Moon
Tracks: 18
Website:http://www.soireemusic.co.uk
Firstly, I must apologise. Serenading The Moon was actually released in 2008, so this review should have been written a year ago. The album is only available direct from Soiree's website, or from their live gigs, so I have only just discovered it. This album is so beautiful, though, that I feel it still warrants a review, albeit belatedly.
Soiree are a three piece acoustic folk band. As their name suggests, their music is gentle and sophisticated.
Soiree comprises Hector Gilchrist, Steve Poole, and Sue Graves. All three play acoustic guitars, and sing, and Hector occasionally plays the harmonica. Steve is an excellent guitarist, and at times produces enormously complex tunes that a prog rock band would be proud of.
Hector has quite a varied voice, at times reminiscent of Val Doonican, sounding warm and cosy, whilst at other times he's a real crooner.
Sue's voice, though, is the main thing that makes this band different from any other. The phrase has been overused, but she truly does have the voice of an angel. That said, though, I think my favorite track on the album could well be "Bonnie Bessie Logan", which features Hector's voice.
The album is rich with variation: some songs purely female vocals; some female with male harmonics; some male with female harmonics; some purely male and some a capella. The songs themselves are from a wide source, as well, from the traditional Bonnie Bessie Logan, to a very recent song, Waterlily, about a love affair during the recent Balkan conflict, written by Karine Polwart. There's also beautiful renditions from many other writers such as Dylan, Joan Baez, and Joni Mitchell.
The title of the album comes from a line in Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael's song, Skylark, described in the sleeve notes as Sue's signature song. Apparently, the album was almost called "Crazy as a Loon", another line from the song. I think they ended up with a far more appropriate title.
Pete Bradley