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Track Listings
| 1. Fire Escape |
| 2. Valentino |
| 3. Fools |
| 4. Nothing But A Miracle |
| 5. Rewind |
| 6. Rise Up |
| 7. Photograph |
| 8. Don't Wait Up |
| 9. Mirror Mirror |
| 10. Ariel |
| 11. Choo Choo |
| 12. Forgiveness |
| 13. Magic View |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Diane Birch wrote a fair bit of Bible Belt (great name) in London, but it earned its release in America in 2009, a whole year before it's British release. This is perhaps because gospel-inspired soul is more popular in the US than here. But if you're willing to look beyond the genre, this album is well worth getting hold of.
Birch's father travelled the world as a preacher, and she apparently had limited access to popular music until she was a teenager, but learned the piano from the age of seven. She is a mean pianist, playing acoustic and Rhodes electric pianos. Her singing is individual and confident, with a wide rich register. The band is laid-back and supportive, with an average age rather higher than Birch's youthful 27. Lenny Kaye is one of the guitarists, and there's a small orchestra on a couple of tracks too.
Some of the tracks sound a little middle-of-the-roady, but they all have something to make them special. The first half of Photograph, for example, is a rather staid waltz-time track, but then it bursts into a spectacular Hey-Jude-style jam with a gospel chorus, strings and a horn section. The muted trumpet on the hook to the track Rewind is another masterstroke - simple, but effective, and the lyric is powerful too. Birch's lyrics have mainly secular themes, but draw heavily on gospel styles. Birch performed Valentino on Later... with Jools Holland on BBC TV, which is a reasonable endorsement in itself.
Diane Birch has a compelling voice, songs that are catchy and while still fitting into a gospel/soul/bluesy genre, still have enough originality to keep me pressing replay.
Birch's father travelled the world as a preacher, and she apparently had limited access to popular music until she was a teenager, but learned the piano from the age of seven. She is a mean pianist, playing acoustic and Rhodes electric pianos. Her singing is individual and confident, with a wide rich register. The band is laid-back and supportive, with an average age rather higher than Birch's youthful 27. Lenny Kaye is one of the guitarists, and there's a small orchestra on a couple of tracks too.
Some of the tracks sound a little middle-of-the-roady, but they all have something to make them special. The first half of Photograph, for example, is a rather staid waltz-time track, but then it bursts into a spectacular Hey-Jude-style jam with a gospel chorus, strings and a horn section. The muted trumpet on the hook to the track Rewind is another masterstroke - simple, but effective, and the lyric is powerful too. Birch's lyrics have mainly secular themes, but draw heavily on gospel styles. Birch performed Valentino on Later... with Jools Holland on BBC TV, which is a reasonable endorsement in itself.
Diane Birch has a compelling voice, songs that are catchy and while still fitting into a gospel/soul/bluesy genre, still have enough originality to keep me pressing replay.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I've played this back-to-back many times & it just gets better, several tracks aleady seem like soul standards. Great voice & backing band, Diane Birch seems imbued in the heritage, the only critcism might be she's so soaked it in it, it's almost formulaic, but just about teeters on the right side with her personality winning over. Go and get it - a genuine mood enhancer
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If Norah Jones sang "Shine a Light" from The Stones' "Exile on Main Street" it might sound like this excellent album. This is not the "Bible Belt" of an evangelical Southern Preacher but the "Bible Belt" that would have been cast across the end of a seedy motel room in some desert town after Gram Parsons had unbuckled it.It is soulfull songwriting with a dash of gospel and jazz, basic four piece backing with appropriately layered horns or strings only when they add something extra to the mix and I cannot stop playing it. Early choice for album of the year.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
CD
This is a great CD.Amazon downloads are easy to use and you can see what the tracks are before you buy so no more buying a CD and liking it for 1 track only you just download the... Read more
Published 17 days ago by noddy
A real Pleasure to Treasure.
Wonderful, Rich and Deep, this artist deserves to better known than she is. Shades of ' Carole King, ' Maria Muldaur ', Laura Nyro ' are all present. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mild Dill Hotpot
Shades of Carole King and a small dollop of Maria Muldaur
Really good songs underpinned by a musical, tight backing group and overlaid by Diane's very competent piano playing and excellent and expressive singing. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Edgar of Baddesley
wonderful voice
21 reviews with five stars, and counting. I have to say that it took a little while for this whole album to grow on me, and after one listen I would have only given the five stars... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Cautious rider
Brilliant album, so glad I bought it!
I LOVE this album! I first heard Diane Birch sing on Later With Jools Holland and I was smitten. I'm not a big cd-buyer, but I had to buy this one and I have not regretted it. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Maisy McCleod
An absolute cracker
I love this. Great voice, incredible harmonies, excellent arrangements and backed up with some quality musicians. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Curried Unicorn
Diane Birch
After ordering this for my best friend's christmas present, I decided to buy this for myself, and I'm very pleased with this CD. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Emily
Liked it immediately
I'd never heard of this artist before but would thoroughly recommend her. Probably best to have a listen to one of the samples, first, just to check if you like her "style" of... Read more
Published 19 months ago by trippedup
A Stunning Debut
One of the most pleasing aspects of this CD is the variety of styles on offer. From the gloriously bluesy feel of the opener 'Fire Escape` with its strong sultry vocals she moves... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Marshy
As good as expected
I heard Diane Birch for the first time on the Radio several weeks ago - the album was ordered in a few days and arrived promptly. Not disappointed. Read more
Published 19 months ago by RP
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