KURATED NO. 228 – A
LATEST RELEASE
I Am by Alice Russell
PLAYLISTS
I Am on Spotify and YouTube
ONE SONG I Am
VIDEO CLIP 56 seconds of powerhouse singing on Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy
from Russell’s Instagram.
LYRICS See Kurated No. 228-B
REVIEWS AllMusic, Broadway World
Alice Russell has been touring behind her latest album since its April release
SOUL FULL: ALICE RUSSELL
UK performer returns to music after a 10-year hiatus
Alice Russell’s passionate voice on the title track of her first album in a decade leaves no question – she’s back. I Am is a raw and personal assertion of emotional liberation and self acceptance wrapped in an intimate nine-song set. She tells us she’s strong. Or not.
Now I move apart, so I can breathe
Who’s there for me?
I am, I am, I am, I am…
Little known on this side of the water, Russell’s name gets mention in the same breath as Adele or Amy Winehouse in her native Britain. Her signature is the strong soulful vocals she wields with ease in diverse musical genres and settings. The much lauded 2013 disc, To Dust (her last before going on hiatus) featured straight up 60s-style vocals against stripped down, up beat backing. In previous outings with collaborators like Quantic and TM Juke, the sounds were further afield.
Of her longtime work with the latter – he co-wrote the tracks on I Am – Russell says: “We’ve both got a very open approach to writing songs.
“Our influences run from Sarah Vaughan to Bach, Kate Bush to Arvo Part, and J Dilla to Alice Coltrane. We love everything from dirty, squelchy dubstep to old-school soul. We nudge each other in the right direction.” Throughout her six-album discography that direction has encompassed hip-hop and trip hop beats, hard funk, dance music, folk-soul, jazz rhythms and nu jazz. However, her timeless voice roots the sound in deep soul, R&B and gospel no matter what polish her producers bring to the mix.
On hiatus
Russell’s career pause was triggered by her father’s death shortly after To Dust was released. “The day after my Dad’s funeral, I found out I was pregnant with my first little one,” she says.
“The grief journey has cracked me open and created a more urgent need to be focused and try to go deeper with how I communicate creatively. I had started therapy soon after my first child was born, and it opened up a bigger understanding of myself and some relationships that had shaped my emotional landscape.”
The songs
The album is testament to Russell’s process of self understanding. She describes it as, “doing the work on ourselves to love so much more deeply.” The result is the listener’s reward – profound and reflective lyrics expressed through heartfelt songs.
Those familiar with Russell’s work will hear a slower tempo and sparser arrangements than on previous records. There are light, nuanced touches on several of the album’s songs like opener Agreement. It starts with a tender vocal and subtle piano line, building to a crescendo mid-song; dropping off slowly to finish. A quiet force informs the orchestral flourishes and pulsing rhythm on Gravity. The driving drum work, buzzing bass and impassioned vocal on I Am make it the one likely rump-shaking, dance floor favourite in the lot although Sinner might get some feet moving too.
TM Juke’s production lends a modern edge to these mid-tempo ballads and Russell’s classic soul intonations. He juxtaposes the warm organic strains of piano, bass drum or voice with quietly echoing – sometimes haunting – sounds of background singers plus an array of cool effects.
Russell closes the album with Light. And it’s just that – a melodic and upbeat piece and a welcome nod towards hope amid the album’s harder truths.
Spending her 40s outside the maelstrom of life as an active musician and trading it in for raising two children and looking inward, Alice Russell’s I Am is an accomplished collection. Observing life’s darker side directly is a challenge. As a mature and insightful artist Russell gives us her best while sharing the journey.
Peace is a verb: support for Palestine
Starting with her album launch in April and continuing in her live performances and through social media via Instagram and Facebook all year, Russell has been actively promoting peace for Palestinians in Gaza. She launched I Am on April 5 wearing a T-shirt saying “Palestinian Children Deserve Joy”.
Check out her Facebook page here. And her Instagram page here.
NOTE: Many thanks to my friend, musical colleague and Kurated subscriber Megan Graham who introduced me to Alice Russell two summers ago.
19 October 2024
PLAYLIST
On Spotify
On YouTube
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lVCIhp7uuHJBXqq-b25k_wwhA8taYvoTU
