Pink Noise by Laura Mvula - DeepRiffs

ALBUM

Getting dropped by a label is practically a rite of passage for an artist, but it's likely that Laura Mvula is the only one to receive the news by email after delivering a Top Ten U.K. debut and an Ivor Novello Award-winning follow-up, both of which were nominated for the Mercury Prize. That's where the singer, songwriter, and producer found herself in 2017. Four years later and with another major label, Atlantic instead of Sony, she rebounds with Pink Noise. It's a wounded if proud and defiant response that draws from vintage high-tech R&B and art pop -- the 1982-1987 era with greatest frequency -- with all sharp edges melted off. "Got Me" is all bounding romantic jubilance like Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel." "Remedy" and "Pink Noise" work low-end cyclonic synthesizers recalling the System and Kashif. INXS-via-Chic guitar wriggles spring up in the latter and elsewhere. A soundtrack for a neon-rich film set in the mid-'80s would do well to feature "Safe Passage," an anthem of independence that gleams and pops, and the duet "What Matters," a tears-in-the-food-court love theme. Mvula's writing is typically to the contrary of what might otherwise sound like an escapist fantasy. The sting of rejection and betrayal, and regret over ceding control, are felt in many of the songs, though she's never so specific that the average listener can't relate. She laments "A provisional kindred soul/Another blow to the ego" in the prowling verses of "Conditional," confronts and teases a fraud in "Church Girl" with "How can you dance with the devil on your back," then delivers an unequivocal protest song with the urgent and scathing "Remedy." While all of those moments are remarkably powerful, Mvula finds another gear for "Golden Ashes," a pulsing and towering ballad that could fill a stadium. Born of dejection, it takes aim at "them scary power people" yet alludes to not just survival but immortality, her voice more robust than ever. "Lemons into lemonade" is an understatement.

1. Safe Passage

Background Vocals: Laura Mvula
Oli Rockberger; Performer
Arranger: Laura Mvula; Composer
Primary Artist: Laura Mvula; Main Performer
Additional Production: Troy Miller
Dann Hume; Production
Mixing: Dann Hume; Production
Bass Guitar: Karl Rasheed-abel; Performer
Composer: Laura Mvula
Dann Hume; Composer
Bass Guitar: Karl Rasheed-abel; Performer
Drums: Laura Mvula; Performer
Electric Guitar: Dann Hume; Performer
Lead Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Percussion: Troy Miller; Performer
Synthesizer: Laura Mvula; Performer
Synthesizer Bass: Laura Mvula; Performer
Engineer: Dann Hume; Production
Mastering: Stuart Hawkes; Production
Producer: Dann Hume
Laura Mvula; Production
Percussion Recording Engineer: Troy Miller; Other

2. Conditional

Background Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Primary Artist: Laura Mvula; Main Performer
Additional Production: Troy Miller
Dann Hume; Production
Mixing: Dann Hume; Production
Bass Guitar: Karl Rasheed-abel; Performer
Bass Guitar: Karl Rasheed-abel; Performer
Producer: Laura Mvula
Dann Hume; Production
Electric Guitar: Dann Hume; Performer
Horn Arrangement: Troy Miller; Composer
Composer: Dann Hume
Laura Mvula; Composer
Engineer: Dann Hume; Production
Lead Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Saxophone: James Gardiner-bateman; Performer
Synthesizer: Laura Mvula; Performer
Synthesizer Bass: Laura Mvula; Performer
Trombone: Trevor Mires; Performer
Trumpet: Trevor Mires
Tom Walsh
Mike Davis; Performer
Mastering: Stuart Hawkes; Production
Horns Engineer: Robbie Nelson; Other

3. Church Girl

Composer: Laura Mvula
Dann Hume; Composer
Background Vocals: Oli Rockberger
Laura Mvula; Performer
Electric Guitar: Dann Hume; Performer
Lead Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Additional Production: Dann Hume
Troy Miller; Production
Engineer: Dann Hume; Production
Mastering: Stuart Hawkes; Production
Mixing: Dann Hume; Production
Percussion: Troy Miller; Performer
Synthesizer: Laura Mvula; Performer
Synthesizer Bass: Laura Mvula; Performer
Percussion Recording Engineer: Troy Miller; Other
Primary Artist: Laura Mvula; Main Performer
Producer: Dann Hume
Laura Mvula; Production

4. Remedy

Background Vocals: Laura Mvula
Oli Rockberger; Performer
Primary Artist: Laura Mvula; Main Performer
Additional Production: Dann Hume
Troy Miller; Production
Mixing: Dann Hume; Production
Bass Guitar: Karl Rasheed-abel; Performer
Bass Guitar: Karl Rasheed-abel; Performer
Producer: Laura Mvula
Dann Hume; Production
Electric Guitar: Dann Hume; Performer
Horn Arrangement: Troy Miller; Composer
Composer: Dann Hume
Laura Mvula; Composer
Engineer: Dann Hume; Production
Lead Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Saxophone: James Gardiner-bateman; Performer
Synthesizer: Laura Mvula; Performer
Synthesizer Bass: Laura Mvula; Performer
Trombone: Trevor Mires; Performer
Trumpet: Trevor Mires
Tom Walsh
Mike Davis; Performer
Mastering: Stuart Hawkes; Production
Horns Engineer: Robbie Nelson; Other

5. Magical

Composer: Dann Hume
Laura Mvula; Composer
Background Vocals: Daniel Hutchinson
James Douglas
Laura Mvula; Performer
Bass Guitar: Karl Rasheed-abel; Performer
Bass Guitar: Karl Rasheed-abel; Performer
Cello: James Douglas; Performer
Drums: Troy Miller; Performer
Electric Guitar: Dann Hume
Daniel Hutchinson; Performer
Horn Arrangement: Troy Miller; Composer
Engineer: Robbie Nelson
Dann Hume
Troy Miller; Production
Lead Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Percussion: Dann Hume; Performer
Mastering: Stuart Hawkes; Production
Mixing: Dann Hume; Production
Saxophone: James Gardiner-bateman; Performer
Producer: Laura Mvula
Dann Hume
Troy Miller; Production
Strings Arrangement: Troy Miller; Composer
Primary Artist: Laura Mvula; Main Performer
Synthesizer: Laura Mvula; Performer
Synthesizer Bass: Laura Mvula; Performer
Trombone: Trevor Mires; Performer
Trumpet: Tom Walsh
Mike Davis
Trevor Mires; Performer
Viola: Clifton Harrison; Performer
Violin: Everton Nelson
Marianne Haynes; Performer
Co Producer: Troy Miller; Other

6. Pink Noise

Background Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Composer: Dann Hume
Laura Mvula; Composer
Cello: James Douglas; Performer
Drums: Troy Miller; Performer
Electric Guitar: Dann Hume; Performer
Lead Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Synthesizer: Laura Mvula; Performer
Synthesizer Bass: Laura Mvula; Performer
Horn Arrangement: Troy Miller; Composer
Strings Arrangement: Troy Miller; Composer
Additional Production: Dann Hume; Production
Engineer: Robbie Nelson
Troy Miller
Dann Hume; Production
Mastering: Stuart Hawkes; Production
Trombone: Trevor Mires; Performer
Trumpet: Tom Walsh
Mike Davis
Trevor Mires; Performer
Viola: Clifton Harrison; Performer
Violin: Marianne Haynes
Everton Nelson; Performer
Mixing: Dann Hume; Production
Saxophone: James Gardiner-bateman; Performer
Co Producer: Troy Miller; Other
Primary Artist: Laura Mvula; Main Performer
Producer: Laura Mvula
Dann Hume
Troy Miller; Production

7. Golden Ashes

Background Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Primary Artist: Laura Mvula; Main Performer
Additional Production: Dann Hume
Troy Miller; Production
Strings Arrangement: Troy Miller; Composer
Bass Guitar: Karl Rasheed-abel; Performer
Bass Guitar: Karl Rasheed-abel; Performer
Producer: Laura Mvula
Dann Hume; Production
Cello: James Douglas; Performer
Composer: Dann Hume
Laura Mvula; Composer
Lead Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Engineer: Dann Hume; Production
Mastering: Stuart Hawkes; Production
Mixing: Dann Hume; Production
Percussion: Dann Hume; Performer
Saxophone: James Gardiner-bateman; Performer
Synthesizer: Laura Mvula; Performer
String Recording Engineer: Robbie Nelson; Other
Synthesizer Bass: Laura Mvula; Performer
Trombone: Trevor Mires; Performer
Horns Engineer: Robbie Nelson; Other
Trumpet: Mike Davis
Tom Walsh; Performer
Horn Arrangement: Troy Miller; Composer
Viola: Clifton Harrison; Performer
Violin: Everton Nelson
Marianne Haynes; Performer

8. What Matters

Composer: Laura Mvula
Dann Hume; Composer
Primary Artist: Laura Mvula; Main Performer
Background Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Electric Guitar: Daniel Hutchinson; Performer
Additional Production: Dann Hume; Production
Engineer: Dann Hume; Production
Mastering: Stuart Hawkes; Production
Additional Vocal Recording Engineer: Adam Noble; Other
Featured Artist: Simon Neil; Main Performer
Mixing: Dann Hume; Production
Producer: Laura Mvula
Dann Hume; Production
Lead Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Synthesizer: Laura Mvula; Performer
Synthesizer Bass: Laura Mvula; Performer
Vocals: Simon Neil; Performer

9. Got Me

Background Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Primary Artist: Laura Mvula; Main Performer
Additional Production: Dann Hume; Production
Mastering: Stuart Hawkes; Production
Bass Guitar: Karl Rasheed-abel; Performer
Bass Guitar: Karl Rasheed-abel; Performer
Electric Guitar: Dann Hume; Performer
Composer: Laura Mvula
Dann Hume; Composer
Lead Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Synthesizer: Laura Mvula; Performer
Synthesizer Bass: Laura Mvula; Performer
Engineer: Dann Hume; Production
Mixing: Dann Hume; Production
Producer: Laura Mvula
Dann Hume; Production

10. Before The Dawn

Background Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Composer: Dann Hume
Laura Mvula; Composer
Cello: James Douglas; Performer
Electric Guitar: Dann Hume; Performer
Lead Vocals: Laura Mvula; Performer
Synthesizer: Laura Mvula; Performer
Synthesizer Bass: Laura Mvula; Performer
Viola: Clifton Harrison; Performer
Additional Production: Dann Hume; Production
Violin: Marianne Haynes
Everton Nelson; Performer
Engineer: Robbie Nelson
Dann Hume; Production
Mastering: Stuart Hawkes; Production
Mixing: Dann Hume; Production
Strings Arrangement: Troy Miller; Composer
Co Producer: Troy Miller; Other
Primary Artist: Laura Mvula; Main Performer
Producer: Laura Mvula
Dann Hume
Troy Miller; Production

Technical Specifications

Volume

1 volume only

Tracks

10 tracks available

Type

ALBUM

Format

Digital Media

Duration

37 minutes and 37 seconds

Explicit

None

Coverart

Available and up to 3000x3000 px

Booklet

Not available

Max Quality

Studio Quality (Hi-Res)

24bit / 44.1 kHz

Stereo

Audio Extension

Hi-Res/Lossless: FLAC, M4A, WAV, WV, AIFF

Lossy: AAC, MP3, M4A, MP4, OGA, OGG, OPUS, WMA

Archive Format

Available in these formats: ZIP, TAR, RAR

Lyrics

9/10 tracks have lyrics

Synchronized Lyrics

9/10 tracks have synced lyrics

Genres

Pop, R&B, Soul, Adult Alternative

Label

Atlantic Records UK

Music Distribution Service

WMG Mora

Country

United Kingdom

Language

English (United States)

Popularity

Release Date

Jul 1, 2021

Track Preview

Available

Delivery Charge

Free

Delivery Method

Digital download link via Email or Personal Dashboard on this site

UPC

190295058791