Beautiful Imperfection: Asa: Amazon.co.uk: Music

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With new found confidence, this is how singer, songwriter and musician Asa describes her new album, Beautiful Imperfection, set for release on October 25 through naïve record label.

Following on from her self-titled debut album, released worldwide in 2007, the Nigerian songstress Asa personifies evolution with her sophomore effort. “The first album reflected my state of mind then” Asa says. “I had… Read more in Amazon's Asa Store

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Product details

Audio CD (28 Oct 2010)
Number of Discs: 1
Format: Import
Label: Naive
ASIN: B003Y58CM6
Other Editions: Audio CD | Vinyl | MP3 Download

Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 49,554 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

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Review

Some albums bark; some whinny. Some bray and some howl. This album purrs. There may be lyrical turmoil in places, there may be dark clouds overhead; but sonically this is a cat in your lap, on a comfy sofa, on a quiet weekend afternoon. All Asa demands is that you give in to her sensual massage while she talks about what’s going on in her mind.

And it’s a very sumptuous back-rub indeed: glockenspiels twinkle, organs stretch out and yawn on a carpet of deep-pile bass. Over in the corner, beach-buskers scrub guitars and ukuleles and Asa swans guilelessly about, singing pretty, sunny songs in a soft, carefree burble.

Carefree, that is, until you listen to what she is saying, which is effectively: "wouldn’t it be nice if everything was better?"

Lead single Be My Man, an urgent, chuntery soul strut, is effectively a desperate plea for love, for someone to hang around and finish the thing they started. Oh sure, it sounds like happy on toast; but unless that special someone capitulates to Asa’s demands, it’s going to be a serving for one.

Her political thoughts are similarly idealistic, always couched in a kind of simplistic, head-scratching naivety which does nothing more than openly wonder why things are bad – as she does on Questions – and if maybe the people who made it bad could, y’know, stop. "This world is full of pain / Can someone tell me who’s to blame?" is a thought so woolly and unformed that even Sting might consider a revision or two before committing it to tape.

For non-Yorùbá-speakers who are bothered by this kind of thing, the three songs recorded in Asa’s native West African tongue provide some relief. Bimpé is perky and rocky; Oré is a rubbery blues number, given pretty stadium atmospherics; and Broda Olé is a country-tinged boot-scooter. All three showcase the voice and the music free (to these ears at least) of lyrical baggage, and are all the better for it.

So yes, it’s imperfect, and it’s frequently beautiful, much like the world itself, yeah? Do you see? Oh, too relaxed to care? Righto.

CD Description

Beautiful Imperfection is, quite simply, a beautiful record. First single "Be My Man", is a fine slice of irresistible soul-snapping retro groove that recalls Osibisa and a rock tinge inspired by The Clash, all marshalled by an astonishingly self-assured vocal turn. Born in Paris, Asa returned to her family’s home in Lagos, Nigeria at the age of two. As the only girl in a family of four, living in an African city that was both vibrant and turbulent, young Asa often sought solace in her thoughts. Music was a prominent aspect of her childhood life with Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill, Fela Kuti and the music of her homeland all playing a part in shaping Asa’s inimitable sound. With a vivid imagination and dreams of musical stardom, she would often take to an imaginary stage with her imaginary microphone and perform to her imaginary audience. Hence the new track "Dreamer Girl". “When you catch yourself dreaming, you can sometimes sense that people nearby could hear you, and suddenly, you might feel like it’s a crime. But I’m actually the dreamer girl in that song,” Asa laughs.

Full of ambition and tenacity, Asa signed herself up to a music school when she was 18, learned to play the guitar and shaped her sound: songs delivered in both English and Yoruba, with a winning fusion of contemporary soul, pop, reggae and funk, complete with strong vocals and soul-stirring melodies.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

A beautifully produced album 28 Feb 2011

By Dr.D.Treharne VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

The voice of Asa is only one third of the reason why this album will be lauded when it's English release rolls around, months after it's been generally available in Europe. A second reason is the wonderful production by Benjamin Constant who produced it, and avoided the temptation that many would have fallen into of over complicating what is in the mix. 'Sparse' is an over used word, but this exemplifies what sparse production ought to do, which is to concentrate on the performance at the heart of the songs.When extra sounds are required they are added sparingly, listen to the trombone on "Why can't we" or the strings on "Baby gone".It also helps that guitarist Roman Chelminski is imbued with the same sparing qualities, seldom pushing the vocals out of the spotlight. Asa herself brings something different to every track as well, and the album has several songs in her native tongue, my favourite of which is "Bimpe".She's going to have to get used to attempts to compare her to other 'jazz singers', but this album has qualities that mark her out as no mere copyist of anyone elses style. If you haven't heard the album, you're in for a real treat, and it's even worth treating yourself to it ahead of its release.

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kenny 8 Jan 2012

By kenny

Format:Audio CD

"Good Purchase". The Disc arrived on time, the quality was as expected,I will surely recommend. The package was good as well as the quality.

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Near Perfect 3 Oct 2011

By Addee

Format:Audio CD

This is one Album I can listen to ALL DAY without getting bored! Asa has such unique output that its difficult to compare her to any other. It is just as good as her previous album, Asha.

Beautiful Imperfection [Import]

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