Search - Martina Topley-Bird :: Some Place Simple

	Martina Topley-Bird Some Place Simple 2010 album from the British vocalist. No question about it, Martina Topley Bird's singing holds a key to some classic British pop -- hers is the voice of Tricky's masterwork Maxinquaye; she duetted with Roots Manuva on the... more » « less
? Larger Image

CD Details

All Artists: Martina Topley-Bird
Title: Some Place Simple
Members Wishing: 4
Total Copies: 0
Label: Indie Europe/Zoom
Release Date: 7/27/2010
Album Type: Import
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
Other Editions: Some Place Simple
UPC: 4047179504621

Synopsis

Album Description

2010 album from the British vocalist. No question about it, Martina Topley Bird's singing holds a key to some classic British pop -- hers is the voice of Tricky's masterwork Maxinquaye; she duetted with Roots Manuva on the last Gorillaz; and she currently sings with Massive Attack. Recorded over one week at Damon Albarn's Studio 13 with musical cohort Fergus Gerrand, Some Place Simple is a jewel, a streamlined, spacious record that throws the spotlight exactly where it should be: on Martina's lovely melodies and fine songwriting, and the voice wrapped round them -- warm, limber and totally unmistakable. 'The idea for this record came from Damon Albarn after he saw the live show supporting Massive Attack last September in Brixton. Other friends had encouraged me to make a record in this constellation but he was the first to recognize the validity of including songs that had already been released in a previous incarnation. And that's what makes this unique. A fresh perspective.' MTB. Honest Jon's.

CD Reviews

Stripped to the bone

Nse Ette | Lagos, Nigeria | 07/27/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Tracklist (not yet displayed on Amazon) is as follows:

1. Baby Blue (from "The blue god")

2. Phoenix (from "The blue god")

3. Lying (from "Quixotic")

4. Da Da Da (from "The blue god")

5. Orchids (new song)

6. Poison (from "The blue god")

7. Intro (from "Quixotic")

8. Snowman (from "The blue god")

9. Sandpaper Kisses (from "Quixotic")

10. All Day (new song)

11. Ilyah (from "Quixotic")

12. Valentine (from "The blue god")

13. Too Tuff To Die (from "Quixotic")

14. Kiss Kiss Kiss (new song)

15. Harpsichord Kiss (new song)

UK songstress Martina Topley Bird has been rather busy the last couple of years, appearing on the latest albums by Common and Massive Attack as well as touring with the latter. She also appeared on Damon Albarn's Gorillaz "Demon days" album. "Some place simple" is her third solo release (the other two being "Quixotic" and "The blue god"). Recorded at Damon Albarn's studio and at his urging, it consists of dramatic reworkings of songs that appeared on her earlier two as well as four new songs. It largely eschews the electronics and heavy beats of its predecessors for a more stripped ambient Folky affair.

The result is warm and intimate with the 15 tracks kept brief, from the twinkling "Da da da" (with just that for lyrics) shorn of the full instrumentation of the original, or "Poison" with tribal sounding percussion (almost unrecogniseable from the original Jazz/Trip Hop version). "Sandpaper kisses" is an enchanting haunting acoustic affair with a dark guitar outburst and just as good as the original, while "Ilyah" is a Capella with finger snaps (again, unrecogniseable from the haunting electronic-laden bass-heavy original).

The new songs are the swaying Jazzy "Orchids", the 1930's style swinging clap-filled "All day", the breathy lullaby-like "Kiss kiss kiss" and the extremely brief "Harpsichord kiss" which is really an electric harpischord instrumental of "Kiss kiss kiss". These four new songs make me wish Bird had gone the whole hog and released an album of new songs. Still, the alternate versions are great to have."