Eighteen years after beginning her singing career Satchell finally releases her debut solo album. This is the self titled album from the fourth placed finalist from ITV’s XFactor 2004, and it optimistically attempts to cover a whole range of musical genres and emotions.
As much as I want to be positive about this album, there is not much to put positive spin on. ’s vocal ability and strength are undeniable, after all this is the woman that ‘kitchiti kitchi ya ya yeah yeahed’ alongside Shaun Ryder in the heyday of the Happy Mondays’ and put the sunshine in ‘Step on’. But this is a regressive musical exercise which evokes dated smoky working men’s clubs and cruise ship cabaret instead of millennial diva or torch singer.
Looking at the album track list you want it to be good, covers some classic songs including Dusty Springfield’s ‘The Look of Love’ and of course ‘Over The Rainbow’, doesn’t everyone and their grandmother cover this song at some stage? Knowing ’s vocal potential you hope for the best. But sadly this is a drab, soggy, middle-aged spread of a record and nothing hurts more than the fact that the heart and soul has been ripped out of some of my all-time favourites.
I mean Stevie Wonder’s classic ‘Higher Ground’ has been given what I can best describe as a musical lobotomy. This soulless chugging rendition of a musical masterpiece has been evacuated of all of the social and political significance which made it important and emotive. And by the time you get to ‘Eleanor Rigby’ you begin to wonder if you yourself have been transcendentally lobotomised through the process of listening to this musical tranquilliser. It is a stilted and out of touch musical journey and it seems to go on forever. 16 tracks are far too long for a sterile and frankly boring album which would best serve as the soundtrack to a geriatric coach outing.
The list of musical travesties committed on this one CD are to numerous and criminal to fully explore. It manages to de-blues Etta James, un (rat) pack Sammy Davis Jr. and make ‘Somewhere’ sound like Cilla Black does the West Side Story all in one sitting, which can only mean that something has gone horribly, terribly and irrevocably wrong.
There are so many downsides to this record that it may be more productive to talk about the upsides which are few and far between. The only places where this album even seems to pick itself up of the floor is when it strategically and deliberately tries at hand at some G-A-Y inspired disco on ‘And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going’ and ‘The Greatest Performance of My Life’. It is clumsy and almost patronising but it is the only time, it seems, the production team knew exactly what they were doing. Another bearable point is the cover of Oasis’ ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out’ but only because it is largely stripped of the Cabaret musicianship. This track signals the direction the album should have taken, strong vocals allowed to soar and emote without the constraints of awful tacky musical arrangements.
Unfortunately though is up to the challenge of this album it seems that the production team were unable to compliment, enhance or brighten her vocal talent. The major fault is the fact that the backing tracks sound limited, studio produced and fit for pub karaoke. It is never grand enough, it’s never subtle enough, never modern enough, it never retro enough, its never jazzy enough, it’s never soul enough, it’s never blues enough, it’s never stage enough. Quite frankly, it’s just not good enough. This is a cynical strategic moneymaking venture which stifles the talent of the singer who has diva potential.
I have no doubt that this may sell after all I am just not the audience this is aimed at. This album is a must buy for the bingo crowd to slot in beside their Jane McDonald collection. However, I would question the faculties of any one that decided to buy this rather than investing in another couple of lines down at Gala.
Record Label: Gut Records
Release Date: 3rd October
Words By: Rachel Webb
