Charlotte Church Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
Whatever happened to the little girl with the voice of an angel? Well, Charlotte Church, like everyone else, grew up and decided to move from her comfort zone of angelic soprano albums in the supposed classical area (although her product had always been aimed at the pop charts), leaving behind Voice of an Angel, Charlotte Church, and Dream a Dream and entering a crowded female pop field already inhabited by the likes of Kelly Clarkson and Girls Aloud. The first two tracks, the disco-funk-oriented "Call My Name" and "Crazy Chick," both became Top Ten singles, with the Boy George-composed ballad "Even God Can't Change the Past" and "Moodswings" not far behind. She even tried her hand at songwriting, albeit with proven successful writers as collaborators: Guy Chambers, who had worked extensively with Robbie Williams, on the pumping disco track "Let's Be Alone," the Spanish-style ethereal ballad "Casualty of Love" (on which she got an opportunity to show that her soprano voice is still intact), and the final track, "Confessional Song"; Rob Davis on the aptly titled "Easy to Forget" (which unfortunately is not a patch on another of his songs); Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head"; and Gary Barlow on the midtempo "Easy Way Out." She sang "Don't you judge me as I leave it all behind, I was the victim" on the track "Fool No More," and one wonders if that was Church's attempt to explain the complete change of musical direction. As a little girl, she had no choice about the type of material she recorded, but here she grabbed the adult mantle with both hands, and smooth pop-soul would be the future for a singer who was not such a little girl any more. ~ Sharon Mawer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
"It's true that, because of my age, I don't have the life experience to sing about things like love and death," admits 15-year-old Charlotte Church in the press biography accompanying review copies of her fourth album, Enchantment. "But, as I get older, I find I can be a bit more of a narrator, telling the story and conveying the emotion of a song." Church is referring specifically to her transition to being more of a pop singer and less of a classical one on Enchantment, her first album to be released by the Columbia Records imprint of Sony Music rather than through Sony Classical. There are still some classical selections, notably a version of "Habañera" from Bizet's Carmen, but there are also plenty of show tunes, and, as Church acknowledges, such material often requires more of an emotional involvement, one she is not yet capable of conveying. Juliet, the Shakespearean character who formed the basis of Maria in the musical West Side Story, was only 14, but the emotions expressed in "Tonight" and "Somewhere," both included here, are very much about love and death, and they call for more than narration. And that's just as true of the Celtic traditional song "Carrickfergus," which laments a lover's inability to be united with her true love (the same subject as the traditional song "The Water Is Wide," which is also here). Her tone is lovely, and she is even more impassioned on "Papa Can You Hear Me?" from the movie Yentl and "A Bit of Earth" from the musical A Secret Garden. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Given that she was merely 12 years old when she released her debut album Voice of an Angel, and that she is certainly cute, it may be easy for observers to dismiss Charlotte Church as the product of mere marketing, but that's not really the case. Yes, she is a marketer's dream, but her soprano voice is alluring, accomplished, and sweet -- even if it's not quite the voice of an angel, it comes close. And that's the reason why millions of listeners were wooed by Voice of Angel: Church is talented, young, and adorable. She's a good singer, sure, but one with enough talent to make her more than a special interest story. However, she is also the kind of singer that isn't well-regarded by classical purists for a variety of reasons, chief among them being the special-interest story itself. It's a double-edged sword, actually, since her very age makes her noteworthy to a wider audience, but not to the aficionados of opera, since she doesn't possess the skill that would make her a great artist in the view of many critics. Yet Voice of an Angel should be judged as a record, apart from Church's age. On that level, it succeeds -- particularly if it's viewed as a debut album. Yes, the material is pretty familiar -- "Ave Maria," "Amazing Grace," and "Danny Boy" all make appearances -- and because Church doesn't really offer revolutionary interpretations of the songs, she is open to criticisms from some opera critics. However, she has such a nice voice that it will be easy for many listeners to overlook the obviousness of the material and just enjoy the sweet music; Voice of an Angel certainly has its fair share of that. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Charlotte Church'
Release Date 1/1/1999
Tracks 17
Label Sony Classical
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Charlotte Church's debut album Voice of an Angel won a large crossover audience -- an audience much larger than the average opera record gets, let alone a record made by a 12-year-old. So, for her second album Charlotte Church -- which followed the debut by a matter of months in the U.S., showing just what a huge hit it was -- it would have made sense to simply offer more of the same, since that would satisfy her large audience. And, to a certain extent, that is what the second album does. However, the opera pieces are now not the focus of the record; they're just part of the tapestry. Pop standards like "Summertime" and traditional songs like "She Moved Through the Fair" rub shoulders with Brahms and Puccini. Most notably, the record kicks off with "Just Wave Hello," a new age crossover item underpinned by a vague trip-hop beat that was borrowed from Enigma. Written by her producer Danny Beckerman, it is a clear bid for a new, even larger audience -- one who normally doesn't buy opera albums but likes classy, quality singers. Of course, that's Church's audience, but this time she and her colleagues are reaching for an even broader base, and on those terms, they succeed. Naturally, that will just irritate the classical and opera purists who were ready to criticize her anyway, given that they believe she, at her tender age, simply isn't mature or skillful enough for much of this material. They may be right -- she doesn't really offer interpretations as much as readings, and for how charming and pretty her voice is, she's not really schooled. The thing is, that doesn't distract from the effectiveness of Charlotte Church. Yes, "Just Wave Hello" already sounds dated, but the rest of the record boasts accomplished, professional (albeit mainstream) production and arrangements and, lest we forget, a very gifted, endearing vocalist called Charlotte Church. She has a sweet, pure soprano voice that will charm and win over listeners who don't consider themselves opera fans. Whether it wins opera fanatics is another matter entirely, but this album wasn't made for them anyway. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
