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Pure - Hayley
Westenra
07
August 2003
Reviewed
by JANE NYE
**
Hayley Westenra is probably the only other person in the
world, aside from Kate Bush, who can actually sing Wuthering
Heights. This might give you an idea of the key her entire
debut album, Pure, is sung in. I turned the treble levels
down.
Sure,
she has got bucket loads of talent, Dame Malvina Major
is her tutor. Okay, she also looks like an angel, but
Miss Westenra fails to entertain, and the high pitch of
the wee cherub is monotonous and irritating.
She
sings sweet songs about the moon and the stars, and the
stars and the moons and she sings about dreams and light
and love and time and smiles and on and on and on.
But
good on her though.
Giles
Martin, legendary Beatles producer Sir George Martin's
grandson, produced Pure, a collection of overly sweetened
cordial pop. On her official website, http://www.hayleywestenra.com/
she explains that "before Pure was released I was singing
show tunes and light classical music. Now, I've got a
lot more variety. Making this album has broadened the
way I sing."
Well
done, the variety of tunes and breadth of tone are superb,
the two Latin numbers are charming and the traditional
Maori choral piece? Kiri Te Kanawa would love it.
I
think Westenra's voice is more suited to classical music,
her foray into light pop and dreamy lullabies is rather
irksome, her angelicism is boring.
I
rather wish that next time when Pure 2 is released, Cathy
becomes a little more Heathcliff - a little less
squawky angel and a lot more impure.
Link
thanks to Jon Milewalker. |
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