Robin Frederick
Blue Flame
© 2003 Robin Frederick (634479491627) (format: CD-R)
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Hypnotic grooves, ambient spaces, a voice that hovers between Dido and Norah Jones and a touch of beat poetry. ".a collection of hauntingly beautiful songs." Dance90210.com
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"Robin blends beautiful songs... against a modern rhythm in much the same way that Enya and Enigma spiralled into chart toppers. Her cover of the Celtic classic "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair" is the most entertaining version I've heard. It's like a cobra's stare - it captures you with the simplest of measures." ~Ben Ohmart, The Muse's Muse
BLUE FLAME is the latest album from acclaimed singer/songwriter Robin Frederick. This new collection of songs features downtempo and dance/electronica tracks with compelling lyrics, softly rolling grooves, and sinuous melodies. Reviewers have compared Robin with Sting, Enya, Norah Jones, and Sade. Writer and producer of over 500 songs for television, record albums, and theatre, Robin brings to her music a depth of experience and emotion that is unique. Highlights include:
"Been Smoking Too Long" - Robin wrote this blues song shortly before meeting Nick Drake who quickly recorded a home demo of it. The demo was later included on Drake's posthumous TIME OF NO REPLY album. Since then, this song has been covered by artists as diverse as Graham Coxon and Placebo. Robin delivers a mesmerizing vocal over a chill groove track.
"Night Blooming Thing" - a chill jazz/blues with a Gothic twist: the lover is an elegant young vampire.
"Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair" - the celtic folk classic laid on a chill groove. An extraordinary sound that is both contemporary and timeless.
"This Is The Story" - a duet with British singer/songwriter Bridget St. John whose last album was released in 1974 shortly after she was voted one of Britain's top five female vocalists. Fans will be glad to hear her voice is more stunning than ever. A beautiful duet from two remarkable singers.
Blue Flame - the melody for this track was inspired by one of the few surviving troubadour songs, "Quan Vei La Lauzeta" ("When I See The Lark"). With its phat, downtempo groove and intimate vocal, it evokes an eerie blend of ancient and modern.
REVIEWS:
"Lovely music and profound lyrics. A worthy sequel to WATER FALLS DOWN."
~ Ian MacDonald; author, REVOLUTION IN THE HEAD
"This is really a good album; I like the combination of beats and melodies and the lyrics are intelligent and intriguing, something you don't always find in dance music. 'Black Is the Color' is a really excellent take on a traditional folk song, very impressive."
~ Ken Barnes, music critic
GENRE: CHILL-OUT VOCALS
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A beautiful, smooth journey - from start to finish
author: Jim O'KeeffeThe vocals, the lyrics and the music drift at you from the speakers like a beautiful haunting mist. Blue Flame is a soothing, magical journey - one that you just don't want to end.
Addictive
author: WandaI bought this CD because I like the way Robin sings Black is the Color of my True Love's Hair, I have grown very fond of all of the cuts and find myself humming them throughout the day. I have listened to it every day since I received it, it is very addictive and I am very satisfied. I am also very satisfied with the service at CD Baby they made shopping a pleasure.
Great lyrics with a chill groove
author: Ari CohnRobin Frederick is not well-known, so an introduction by comparison is in order. Frederick's voice is a breathy mezzo-soprano, much like Norah Jones, but without the pretentious affects. If you like her voice, or Ivy's and Dido's, you'll like Frederick's. Stylistically, Frederick is a close cousin to Dido, in that both artists have very dense lyrics -- a high word-to-content ratio that present complex ideas. If your attention wanders during a song, you'll miss a lot of meaning. Whereas Dido's lyrics are mainly narrative, intent on telling a story, Frederick's are mostly poetic, intent on conveying metaphors that lead to multiple interpretations. Her lyrics are the strongest aspect of her music, and she willingly shares them for inspection and explanation on her web site, www.robinfrederick.com. Good thing, too, as I've never been good at unraveling the possible meanings of poetry. Some lyrics, such as those in "Sleeping in Byron's Bed" would have been inscrutable if not for Frederick's background explanation. Not all her lyrics are impenetrable, however. Examples: "Written in Sand" is obviously a lament for someone who committed suicide, "Night Blooming Thing" is clearly a song written about a vampire lover, and "Feel Your Way" is fanciful encouragement to "just do it." Despite the difficulty I had in interpreting some lyrics, it was quite refreshing to listen to lyrics that expressed complex, interesting ideas. Frederick's music isn't based on catchy hooks; they'd never make the pop top 40. The music is more like a textured, sonic wallpaper on which to hang the lyrical pictures. Frederick herself describes the music of "Blue Flame" as a combination of chill grooves, and house and trance beats. The sound is very synthetic, and I suspect many of the harmonies are her own voice, overlaid in multiple tracks. I'd love to hear alternate versions of many of her songs with real instruments, especially percussion, as I find drum kits to be exceptionally flat and boring. The euro-pop feel works best on the tracks on "Feel Your Way," "Sleeping in Byron's Bed," and surprisingly, the traditional Celtic ballad, "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair." And while Frederick's music may not be particularly catchy, I found the combination of her music and lyrics downright addictive. The grooves of the spacious and repetitive music, which encourages your mind to wander and relax, are a good platform for the more demanding lyrics. I've listened to this music daily since I received it a week ago, and "Feel Your Way" is in one of my morning wake-up mixes. I plan to introduce my more musically adventurous friends to Robin Frederick soon, and you should at least preview her music.
... Musical therapy ...
author: Vanessa BlancoIt´s said there´s music that worship Spirit... guess must be something like this. In any case I thank these messages for their sensitivity and hope.... "nothing´s written in stone".... so be it....
Eclectic and unique. Rises far above today's usual fare!
author: BudThis defies classification because it's eclectic and unique. It rises far above what's generally offered by most artists today, and obviously focuses on the art and not the commercial aspects.
amazing job! I loved the sound
author: JenniferGreat sounds and the way Fredricks blends everything is soothing and yet mysterious. I felt as though I was transplanted into another realm of mists and magic. Very lovely!
Excellent version of "Black Is The Color"
author: Edward RossCD BABY: excellent company to do business with. Was very pleased with service, packaging, and delivery. Excellent rendition of Black Is The Color, which to me was the best song in the CD