IMOGEN HEAP
Speak for Yourself
Megaphonic / RCA
· The voice behind Frou Frou speaks for herself…again.
The product of a year alone in her studio, Imogen Heap’s Speak for Yourself is an anomaly. A serious eighties sound guides her music, yet her soft, futuristic voice betrays her seemingly simple approach to songwriting.
Walking precariously between Über-hip and Hot AC, Heap isn’t afraid to share her influences, emotions or insecurities through her voice. Obvious comparisons will come in the form of Annie Lennox, Tori Amos and Kate Bush, but there is something distinct about her audible accent and ability to harmonize with herself, both high and low.
Songs like "Daylight Robbery" and "The Walk" are destined to be the trailer music for every movie about a woman rediscovering her sense of self. While I wouldn’t wish that fate on any song, it is not a bad thing in these cases. "Hide and Seek" is the album’s jewel in the form of a restrained ode to heartbreak. A precise arrangement lends to the loneliness that Heap’s voice can conjure in a single note.
A nice surprise listen, and the perfect soundtrack to riding the bus at night in winter, the album sounds completely predictable, but only now because I cannot stop listening to it.
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