Hayley Westenra: Pure [CD]

When it was released in New Zealand, I bought it direct. I then bought the international version from Hong Kong. I couldn't wait any longer for it to come out in the UK.

Since I bought it I have been playing it almost non-stop. Well, certainly several times a day. Every song on it is an absolute delight to listen to and demonstrate Hayley's wonderful gift of one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard. She is invariably pitch-perfect, and the clarity of her voice is, in itself, entrancing. As well as this, she has a magnificent vocal range, which continually surprises me, even though I have spent so many hours listening to her.

So, her first international release is aptly titled "Pure". It is certainly an excellent definition of such a pure voice, and of the pure pleasure of listening to the album, either when considered by individual track or in it's entirety.

Pure is an eclectic mix of styles - crossover pop, classical and traditional Maori. Each completely different from the others, but complementing each other perfectly. As you listen to the various tracks, you will find them esoteric in parts, bold and powerful at other times, then ethereal, and then performed in a beautifully restrained and deeply moving way. And that doesn't even begin to cover it.

The combination of Hayley Westenra, Decca Classics, Sir George Martin, and his son Giles Martin has produced by far the best album I have heard in many years. It is, to say the least, masterful. In my opinion, this album is a "must have" for any music lover.

'Pure' features a lovely mix of songs, from the enchanting Maori lullaby 'Hine e Hine', to religious songs such as 'Amazing Grace' and 'Benedictus' and a great cover of the Kate Bush classic 'Wuthering Heights' . The album would be stunning from any singer: from a young girl whose voice is still developing, it is truly something to be treasured.

She is practically pitch-perfect, her breath control is amazing and the purity of her voice has to be heard to be believed. This from a 16 year old. I was a fan of the excellent Charlotte Church for a long time and I still love her music, but her voice relied too much on the use of vibrato, she was very breathy and always seemed to rush her songs. Hayley is a very welcome addition to an under-populated genre, in fact, she defies typical genre classification because of her easy grasp of such a broad range of styles. For instance, who could possibly do "Wuthering Heights" better than Kate Bush? No prizes for guessing.

"Pure" is an excellent album from a young artist with an awful lot of promise. Hear it and believe it.