Alison Moyet Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
Had Dusty Springfield still been making records in 2007 with her vocal power intact, she might have sounded like Alison Moyet does on Turn. The similarities lie not only in the singing, but also in the material, which mixes orchestrated pop/rock with a blue-eyed soul sensibility. There are important differences, though, chief among them the greater vibrato and stridency in Moyet's vocal delivery. The tracks are in an adult contemporary pop mold that's far above the usual standards for that genre, yet still too mainstream and, in some senses, slick and stiffly executed to find much favor among the hip crowd. It's still aimed at the mature pop market, but songs like "The Man in the Wings" betray a certain theatrical sensibility. As it happens, a few of the songs ("Smaller," the tango-flavored "Home," and "World Without End") were indeed first written (by Moyet and Pete Glenister, who are responsible for all the material on the album) and performed in 2006 for a stage play, Smaller, in which Moyet starred with Dawn French. She does vary her approach substantially throughout the disc, "It's Not the Thing Henry" coming close to funky rock, though moody romantic ruminations usually remain at the core of most of the music. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
One of the U.K.'s most popular and best-selling vocalists of the past two decades, Alison Moyet's husk-and-honey voice has made her equally successful as a blues wailer and a dancefloor diva. Equal focus has always been paid to her sharp songwriting, but her new path keeps listeners firmly focused on the intimacy of those vocals, which sound better than ever on this mature and soul-stirring, lushly produced and arranged (by British film composer Anne Dudley) collection of standards -- some old (Legrand, Gershwin), some new (Elvis Costello), a few in French, and all surprising. Edging sweetly into pop-classical territory, Moyet reels us into the "Windmills of Your Mind" before ruminating on "The Man I Love" and exploring the concept of feeling "Almost Blue" (the Costello chestnut). Another highlight is her soaring, ethereal turn on the Costello/Burt Bacharach tune "God Give Me Strength," rendered here like a passionate prayer. She also tackles classical pieces by Bizet and Purcell. Although the tempo and tone of the arrangements are fairly similar, as per the album title, Dudley's restraint allows Moyet's voice to take center stage, where it always belongs. The key to creating a successful standards album is finding unique ways to render familiar material, and peppering the set with obscure pieces that will inspire a deeper study of musical history. Moyet achieves all this and more on this winsome future classic. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After a near-nine-year layoff, Alison Moyet's fifth solo album is a posh, lavish, elegant affair that shows she's lost none of her chops throughout the long layoff. Production by the Insects, best known for their soundtrack work, adds a torchy, dreamy quality to these tunes, all but two of which were co-written by the singer. Between the intricately crafted songs, the ornate production, and Moyet's soulful voice, this is arguably her most fully realized and cohesive work. Strings, keyboards, and multiple guitars layer into a big, lush, sophisticated sound perfect for Moyet's husky voice. While there is nothing that reminds the listener of Yaz, the synths, drum programming, and loops recall the more techno aspects of her old band, while adding an organic, if not quite rootsy, feel. If Dusty Springfield still made records in the millennium, it's likely they would be similar to Hometime. Personal yet expansive with just the right touch of ghostly R&B, this is a remarkably moving collection of European-style ballads. Somewhat reminiscent of Portishead's live work, Moyet sinks into these tracks as if lounging in an overstuffed chair. The elements combine most poignantly on the stirring "If You Don't Come Back to Me." With its hypnotic strings, reverbed guitar, and jazzy bass, it seems like she's interpreting an existing classic instead of writing a new one. Classy, subtle, yet often mesmerizing, this album is never less than affecting. It strives to be -- and often is -- a perfect vehicle for Moyet's talent, reaching heights that have only been hinted at in her previous work. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On her fourth solo album, Essex, named after her home county, Alison Moyet continues to search for valid alternatives to her natural gifts. A singer with a remarkably forceful voice and emotional delivery, she had succeeded both as a jazz and blues interpreter and when her singing was inventively contrasted with Vince Clarke's synthesizer tracks in Yaz. While her solo work at first showed promise of combining those styles with contemporary Brit-pop and produced some hits, by this point she is struggling to sound distinctive against the overeager production style of Ian Broudie, whose work is somewhat offset by the more sedate tracks produced by Pete Glenister. "Whispering Your Name," the first single, written by Jules Shear, with a lyric intended to be sung by one man to another, sounds curious coming out of Moyet's mouth, but at least the words are about something definite, which is more than you can say for Moyet's own elliptical expressions of anger and romantic discord. Musically, the album veers from the Revolver-era Beatles sound of the second single, "Falling," to the Motown rhythm of "So Am I" and an unnecessary remake of Yaz's "Ode to Boy" arranged to sound like "Pinball Wizard." The best song, the Glenister-produced ballad "Satellite," is buried in the middle of the record -- what makes it the best is that the arrangement actually allows Moyet the space to sing and to be as moving as she can be. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On her third post-Yaz release, songstress Alison Moyet puts her bluesy vocal abilities to good use on possibly her most soulful collection yet. She hasn't lost her knack for breezy, adult pop, evident on the lilting, melodic "Wishing You Were Here" (with Kirsty MacColl lending some assistance on backing vocals) and "It Won't Be Long," but tracks like the horn-driven "Footsteps" and high-energy title song form the core of Hoodoo. With the lyrics squarely focused on relationships, Moyet is often brassy and assertive as on "Back Where I Belong," which features a catchy electro-reggae beat and contributions from ex-Fine Young Cannibals Andy Cox and David Steele. She's still more than capable of expressing heart-aching vulnerability, though, especially on the gorgeous "This House," where a split-second pause gives way to her passionately imploring, "Who will take your place?" Other highlights include a pair of gospel-flavored numbers, the jumpy "Rise" (on which she adds harmonica) and the anthemic closer, "Find Me." It all makes Hoodoo another strong offering from the distinctive Moyet. ~ Tom Demalon, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Alison Moyet's solo debut moves away from the all-electronic backing of her two-album partnership with Vince Clarke in Yaz, but ironically, those two albums sound much less dated in retrospect than Alf itself. Hooking up with Bananarama's producers, Tony Swain and Steve Jolley, Moyet delivers an enormous, walloping mid-'80s pop sound that constantly threatens to overwhelm both the songs, which are a mixed bag, and occasionally even the formidably voiced singer herself. Several tracks make it through the production mill unscathed, notably the singles "All Cried Out" and "Love Resurrection," but the album's pinnacle is the remarkable "Invisible," a soulful shouter penned by Motown great Lamont Dozier that's among the great R&B pop singles of the '80s. Moyet tears into the song's emotional chorus with more ferocity than on the rest of the album, and the song is as melodically sturdy as any of Dozier's previous hits. Some of the other tracks would benefit from less-overbearing production, most notably the chilling "Where Hides Sleep," making Alf one of those albums that sounds better once the listener has mentally undressed the songs a bit. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
