Phildel –
The Disappearance Of The Girl (Decca)
CD/DL
3 June 2013
Comparisons
will be made – Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Grimes.
The plain and simple truth is that Phildel has a voice like no
other. Not only that but she writes and
plays songs of quite startling quality.
You should know the story by now – her songs were picked up by several
companies for their TV ads before she had even officially recorded a track,
then her world exploded. From Marks
& Spencer to fashion shows, her songs are being played and you may not even
know it.
At the age
of 8 she was to be deprived of music, radio and TV by her extremist Father for
the next ten years, and, only progressed her love for music in secret lunchtime
sessions at School. Her remarkable
talent flourished, and, at the age of 28 she produces, writes and arranges her
debut album which Decca have had on ‘slow release’ for a few months. The twelve songs here are nothing short of
immaculate and should see the artist propelled into the spotlight within a very
short space of time, or, there is no justice.
Opening
with the title track the album confirms that this is indeed a star in the
making. Swaying violins, and the voice
of an angel. She sings of her enforced
restrictions as a child and how the child inside her was barely allowed to
exist. If this song doesn’t melt your
heart then you have no soul.
You’ll
probably recognise Storm Song. Starting
eerily and gently enough, it soon rises into a catchy pop song racing along
like the steam train it mentions, Phildel’s voice extraordinarily belies her
age, belonging instead to a more mature artist.
The arrangement is faultless and the voice cannot be
underestimated. Incredibly catchy and
likeable, and, early proof that Phildel isn’t just tied to slow songs. Beneath the soft tones of the music are
lyrics that really can bite, we’re not talking sugar-sweet pop here, we’re
talking alternative pop is sheeps clothing.
We have true pop stomp on The Wolf, a track that begins slowly with lone
voice, “And you once said, I wish you dead”, that sends shivers down your spine
before moving into livelier territory.
Synth basslines pump out with echoed voices and effects, moving along
with walls of sounds and an infectious dark chorus.
It would be
easy to describe every one of the tracks on the album, but, the easiest thing
to do is just listen to it. It is an
album of quite remarkable quality and displays a talent which surely cannot
stay hidden for much longer. Holes In
Your Coffin is more black hypnotic pop moving along in an exciting and eerie
fashion. There is nothing that can
describe Beside You other than ‘beautiful’ – a song written in classic style in
so much as to say it is a classic song that you will hear time and time
again. Album closer, Funeral Bell, has
lyrics of pure poetry, “Mother I’m
scared to die....Father I’m scared to live”, it’s slightly disturbing and
gorgeous at the same time. A track that
leaves you aghast at its end.
Not only
should you own this album, you should buy it and you should love it. You should then give it pride of place in
your cd cabinet and gaze upon it adoringly.
9.5/10
Published on Louder Than War 28/05/13 - here
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