Making predictions about an artist’s future success is fraught with dangers. No such problems with Louise Setara.
One day this young lady is going to be MASSIVE.
When someone like Simon Climie says, "Louise really is something special";
you simply have to take notice.
Love Changes Everything,
No.2 UK Chart 1988), and has written and produced for Eric Clapton, Aretha
Franklin and George Michael. The press release says she’s ‘a stunning new
vocal discovery’: and she is.
Surely, her pristine singing is a hot contender for some kind of award in
2007 – look out - she’s about to make her mark with this classy album –
Still Waters.
It is essentially a covers album, nevertheless she’s made it all her own.
From her opening dulcet tones on Love Me Still, you detect a remarkable
and naturally gifted singer, who is boosted by some of the most beautiful
songs you’ll ever hear. This is followed by equally classy By The Time
(co-written by Climie) where the pristine voice takes flight.
Then comes THE jewel in the crown – an absolutely STUNNING cover of Bob Dylan’s
Make You Feel My Love. The hairs on the back of your neck will stand
on end when you hear this, as her vocal dexterity shines through on this
smouldering and tender love song.
Mid-tempo country inflected Homeless by Chris Porter and Peter Gordeno
is the familiar kind of song to appear on an ‘All Time Greatest Country
Songs’ compilation.
Porter and Gordeno’s uplifting power ballad Wrong Again proves she
can hack it with virtually any song. Further in, Circle, a traditional
song arranged by Setara herself is a monumental showpiece for her vocal
gymnastics.
Yet another jewel is the stirring gospel influenced Can’t Stop The River
by Seal, accompanied by the Prague Symphony Orchestra, rapidly segued by
Sylvie, an a capella stunner backed by Lady Smith Mambazo Choir. Bruce
Springsteen’s If I Should Fall takes on a whole meaning, and may even
be a better than the original. Turning a 60s pop classic into a smouldering
jazz-ballad takes some doing, but Setara pulls it off magnificently on
One Fine Day (The Chiffons).
She may well have more success in America, where this kind of music is across
the airwaves, which would be a shame, as she’s a real music star in the making.
Move over Katie Melua and Norah Jones – Louise Setara is light years ahead of
them!
1. Love Me Still
2. By The Time
3. Make You Feel My Love
4. Homeless
5. Wrong Again
6. Too Soon
7. Circle
8. Can’t Stop The River
9. Sylvie
10. Let It Be Me
11. I Can Hurt
12. If I Should Fall
13. Ain’t Gonna Let You Break My Heart Again
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2008.
