A virtual unknown before her
Adele-esque torch song treatment of
the Calling's soft rock anthem "Wherever You Will Go" rocketed up the digital charts thanks to its use on a TV advert for teabags,
Charlene Soraia has since inevitably faced comparisons with her fellow BRIT School graduate. But anyone expecting her debut album,
Moonchild, to be a 21-style affair will be in for a mighty shock. Right from the high-pitched wail which kickstarts opener "When We Were Five," a
Pink Floyd-inspired, psychedelic, seven-minute epic which twists and turns with its jazz trumpets, trippy guitars, and shimmering melodies, it's clear that her Top Three hit is something of an anomaly. Indeed, other than the shuffling, cello-driven folk of "Lightyears" and the kooky
Regina Spektor-ish piano pop of "Bipolar," it's difficult to see anything else likely to grace the airwaves in the same manner. While any commercial aspirations may be hindered by its 13 tracks' lack of immediacy, Paul Stacey's uncluttered production does prove to reap its rewards over time, whether it's the slow-building introspection of "Postcards from iO" (one of six songs plucked from three previous EPs), the hushed, bittersweet acoustics of "Daffodils," or the stripped-back, ghostly blues of "Bike." Perhaps down to her instantaneous recording approach, the album sometimes suffers from a lack of focus, with the delicate fingerpicking "Midsummer Moon in June" and the solemn balladry of "Almost Stole a Book" coming and going without leaving much impression, while
Soraia's fragile tones occasionally lapse into shrill territory, particularly on the flighty "Rowing," where her glass-shattering vocal leap makes
Mariah Carey sound like a booming baritone. But considering the way in which she grabbed the public's attention,
Moonchild is a far more challenging and exquisite first offering than anyone could have hoped for. ~ Jon O'Brien