Ladies and gentlemen, I think we can all agree that the last thing we want is another Jessie J or talentless Tulisa so it's with great pleasure that I may introduce a new singing sensation... Ren Harvieu
Only twenty-two and this Lancashire lass is blessed with pitch-perfect pipes that deliver the same smoothly rich '60 soul as Dusty, Petula or Cilla. Crucially Ren not trying to be The New Adele™. There's no foghorn blasting and neither is there any overwrought kitchen sink drama. Her voice is less powerful but it's sweeter, gentler and poppier.
Selected as one of the Sounds of 2012 by the BBC, although the sound of 1962 would be more appropriate. The songs and the arrangements are unashamedly retro, neo-60s compositions. The kind of big sweeping orchestral sounds you associate with Bachrach/David compositions. Closer in approach to The Last Shadow Puppets album than anything her young Brit soul peers are attempting.
One of the other key influences for the record I would guess was Roy Orbison. The instrumentation on 'Dancing on Her Own' is very reminiscent of The Big O's later records like 'You Got It' or 'I Drove All Night'. It's got the same galloping guitars. 'Summer Romance' has the similar soaring bittersweet vocals as 'In Dreams'. As album climaxes go it's gave me goosebumps so must be pretty good.
Although only three of the albums eleven tracks are co-written by Ren the songwriting creds are impeccable, featuring Ed Hardcourt, Dave McCabe (The Zutons), Howie Payne (The Stands) and Jimmy Hogarth (songwriter for Amy Winehouse, James Morrison, Paulo Nutini and many others). She's also toured extensively with Glasvegas so it's fair to say she's no pop moppet. She's much savvier than that. Though given she's clearly a cool girl and not a fame hungry monkey I wonder whether she'll break big.
Rather than watching X Factors endless parade of wannabes, 40 years ago on a saturday night we'd have sat back and enjoyed 'Saturday Night at The Palladium'. A class act like Ren Harvieu would be headlining.
Ladies and gentlemen, be upstanding...
FOREVER IN BLUE
THROUGH THE NIGHT
SUMMER ROMANCE
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