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Track Listings
| 1. Are You Ready? |
| 2. The Shield and The Sword |
| 3. The Last Dance |
| 4. Break These Chains |
| 5. The Happiest Pretenders |
| 6. Sweet Lie |
| 7. I Surrender |
| 8. Bullet |
| 9. You're Electric |
| 10. Ain't Nobody |
| 11. Light After Dark |
| 12. This Is Not The End |
Product Description
Review
The electronic crackles and wolverine bellows on the prelude to Clare Maguire’s debut album suggests that what follows will be an ocean-deep record. When the first song – track two, The Shield and the Sword – kicks in, keyboards masquerade as strings and we can hear the petite, Birmingham-born (to an Irish family) girl summon the power of a storm with her breath. It’s a voice big enough to warrant a weather warning from the Home Office, and the song makes Maguire sound stronger than anything the world can throw at her.
On the first two tracks we are led to believe that Maguire could be an experimental folkie in the mould of Patrick Wolf, who combines rustic songwriting with electronic pop and experimental bleeps. It would be a step forward for the music industry to be pushing someone with such a rich palette into the mainstream singer-songwriter bracket. But the production – by chart-grabbing Fraser T Smith (James Morrison, Taio Cruz, Cee-Lo) – can only bring so much depth or variety to unadventurous songs which are bellowed and wailed with all the subtlety of Florence Welch giving birth to a rhino.
Maguire’s voice would easily be big enough to put her through to the later stages of X Factor, if that matters. But with charts, radio playlists and awards love-ins teeming with women with big voices – Adele, Duffy, Winehouse, Florence et al – it seems like this is just the latest CD to keep in the car for the drive home after a hard day at the office. The songs seem to be about standing strong and not letting the haters, whoever they are, grind us down. Although the lyrics are so vague – therefore appealing to as wide an audience as possible – that they can be interpreted to mean whatever we like.
"I’ve been cutting connections, causing the walls to build up around me… I walk in shallow waters, should have gone my own way," she sings on You’re Electric. It’s straight from the Chris Martin school of songwriting, and assumes the record-buying public can be stimulated by something which communicates nothing other than a total lack of imagination.
--Lewis G. Parker
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Heard this playing in a local store, asked who it was, listened to some clips, and bought the CD.
This is the best new female vocalist I've heard for a long time. Clare's voice is stunningly smooth and powerful. Like other reviewers, I like all the tracks on this CD though there are some stand outs, like Shield and Sword. And it's nice that the tracks are new and all but one is co-written by the artist.
My only gripe is that with her unique and striking voice obviously being her strongest asset, why doesn't the sound mastering/production on this CD let us hear it as it could and should be heard? Instead, every sound or instrument seems to have been boosted to the same maximum volume, including the singing. The result may grab your attention in a shop or on the radio (like it did me), but listening on good `phones or on a modest home stereo the CD seems strangely "unnatural", a wall of sound, which after a while is irritating and tiring to listen to. This is a shame, as I want to listen to Clare's songs and singing. Her voice is so amazing it doesn't need this boosting or blanketing.
Clare, if you read this, please do a more acoustic album, and please insist that next time the CD mastering isn't so over the top and gives your voice room to breathe. Still 5 stars though, as this album is still from the best new vocalist I've heard for yonks and this comes through in spite of the over production.
This is the best new female vocalist I've heard for a long time. Clare's voice is stunningly smooth and powerful. Like other reviewers, I like all the tracks on this CD though there are some stand outs, like Shield and Sword. And it's nice that the tracks are new and all but one is co-written by the artist.
My only gripe is that with her unique and striking voice obviously being her strongest asset, why doesn't the sound mastering/production on this CD let us hear it as it could and should be heard? Instead, every sound or instrument seems to have been boosted to the same maximum volume, including the singing. The result may grab your attention in a shop or on the radio (like it did me), but listening on good `phones or on a modest home stereo the CD seems strangely "unnatural", a wall of sound, which after a while is irritating and tiring to listen to. This is a shame, as I want to listen to Clare's songs and singing. Her voice is so amazing it doesn't need this boosting or blanketing.
Clare, if you read this, please do a more acoustic album, and please insist that next time the CD mastering isn't so over the top and gives your voice room to breathe. Still 5 stars though, as this album is still from the best new vocalist I've heard for yonks and this comes through in spite of the over production.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a really frustrating album. I want to love it because Clare Maguire has a great voice. In fact she has more than one voice - one low, one high (listen to Bullet and then Happiest Pretenders - you won't believe it's the same singer). And she has soul.
But - and sadly it's a big but - just about everything else could be better. The songs themselves are OK, the lyrics being pretty lame, but the production . . . ! It's a throwback to the 1980's of Jennifer Rush and Co, with big synths, reverbed drums and it's all too polished, overblown and MOR. She has a big voice but she knows how to use it and she does the soft tender stuff really well. Unfortunately someone with very little imagination has said: "Strong voice, she can do the power ballads - we'll give her the Shirley Bassey treatment". That's worse than lazy, that's bordering on criminal.
I heard Miss M supporting The Script a few weeks back and was sufficiently impressed by her singing to buy the CD, but whereas her live performance blew me away, her talent is just swamped in the studio recording. She needs a much more minimal instrumental backing to let her real vocal talent shine through - a more unplugged, raw sound from this century would help. I'd love to hear what someone like Mark Ronson could do with that voice. Yes, you heard me. Mark Ronson.
Clare Maguire is a truly talented vocalist, rather wasted on average material and poor production. The lady is just crying out for a producer who knows how to really showcase her talent. I'm hoping there's one out there that has heard what she can do and gives her sound a bit of a makeover. Otherwise I suspect she may disappear from view and that would be a great shame.
But - and sadly it's a big but - just about everything else could be better. The songs themselves are OK, the lyrics being pretty lame, but the production . . . ! It's a throwback to the 1980's of Jennifer Rush and Co, with big synths, reverbed drums and it's all too polished, overblown and MOR. She has a big voice but she knows how to use it and she does the soft tender stuff really well. Unfortunately someone with very little imagination has said: "Strong voice, she can do the power ballads - we'll give her the Shirley Bassey treatment". That's worse than lazy, that's bordering on criminal.
I heard Miss M supporting The Script a few weeks back and was sufficiently impressed by her singing to buy the CD, but whereas her live performance blew me away, her talent is just swamped in the studio recording. She needs a much more minimal instrumental backing to let her real vocal talent shine through - a more unplugged, raw sound from this century would help. I'd love to hear what someone like Mark Ronson could do with that voice. Yes, you heard me. Mark Ronson.
Clare Maguire is a truly talented vocalist, rather wasted on average material and poor production. The lady is just crying out for a producer who knows how to really showcase her talent. I'm hoping there's one out there that has heard what she can do and gives her sound a bit of a makeover. Otherwise I suspect she may disappear from view and that would be a great shame.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I first saw an advert for this album on the tv. At first listen to her voice I wasn't sure. I'm not a fan of deep voiced female vocalists and wasn't sure if her unique voice was for me.
However I decided to get the album and was pleasently suprised. The songs are powerful, energetic and have beautiful lyrics.
I thoroughly enjoyed every track on this album and highly recommend it.
However I decided to get the album and was pleasently suprised. The songs are powerful, energetic and have beautiful lyrics.
I thoroughly enjoyed every track on this album and highly recommend it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Gotta hunch about this girl...
I have this album on loan from my local library and I have just listened to it in full. Wow! This lady has a very lush and gutsy voice and, unlike the reviewer Daniel Billinton, it... Read more
Published 4 months ago by FinnRockFan
justbuying
good cd only bought it because heard the sound track on car advert cheapest price from seller online arrived quickly
Published 7 months ago by justbuying
YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THIS
Very happy with delivery and packaging received before time was due, so happy about that, gave me more time to listen to this fantastic C.D. Read more
Published 9 months ago by John1
Another Star is born
Great listening..eclectic mix of tracks. She has the ability to sound like 'Horse', 'Joni Mitchell' and 'KD Lang' rolled into one. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Jess
What a voice...!!
Very glad I bought this album...terrific ...so impressed I booked tickets to see her at sound control in Manchester.....We were not disappointed,what a powerful performance.... Read more
Published 11 months ago by andrew simpson
Stunning Voice
Absolutely love this album,Clare Maguire has got such a powerful voice. Hard to pick a favourite track but Ain't nobody, Shield and the Sword, Freedom, and Last Dance stand out for... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Lola K
Relaxing Music
I bought this after listening to only one track - it's brilliant. She has a very unusual voice and is a pleasure to listen to.
Published 11 months ago by tinkerbell
love it!!!
Buy it... You won't be disappointed. I usually listen to heavy rock/metal but like to have variation and Clare's voice/music gives this :)
Published 12 months ago by Ms. L. Robertson
Absolutely fantastic!
Clare Maguire's 'Light After Dark' is mesmerising. Her vocals are flawless and extremely powerful. The lyrics on all the songs have powerful messages and the production is great. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mr. O. Couldwell
DID'NT THINK I WOULD LIKE IT BUT I LOVE IT
Came into the room because I heard this lovely soulful strong voice singing live on the tele. so on the strengh of that I bought the album. Read more
Published 12 months ago by FastHand
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