'The Abbey Road Sessions' sees long-serving Aussie diva Kylie Minogue giving her back catalogue the orchestral treatment at one of the world's most iconic recording studios
KYLIE MINOGUE/ THE ABBEY ROAD SESSIONS
With close to three decades in the business, it's safe to say that the 44 year-old pop icon has had her fair share of success and recognition throughout her career. Her graceful diva status and her inventive approach to pop music are the two qualities always looked upon with admiration by both fans and non-fans around the world. The year 2012, especially, has been huge for Minogue as she embarked on ''K25'', a year-long celebration of her quarter-century in the music industry that saw her going on the uniquely intimate ''Anti Tour'' as well as appearing at high-profile events such as Sydney Mardi Gras and Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Concert.
After releasing the perfunctory greatest hits album, The Best of Kylie Minogue, earlier this year, Minogue takes things up a notch or two with The Abbey Road Sessions, a project that takes the hits from her previous 11 albums and throws them into the warm embrace of an orchestra and/or acoustic band. While this may not be an Earth-shattering concept, the fact that Minogue's best-known material often gravitates towards the dancefloor makes the whole premise rather intriguing.
Opening the album, All the Lovers presents itself in a stripped down version, featuring soft strumming guitar and heartwarming strings. It's hard to say whether this is an improvement over the original as both versions share that similar breezy, laid-back vibe. More acoustic treatment awaits on tracks such as Love at First Sight and Hand on Your Heart, the latter being one of the album's standout tracks. Even if you're not familiar with the original (a straight-up '80s pop jam), this ultra tender rendition will have you swooning.
On a Night Like This is barely recognisable with its Europop facade stripped away and replaced with the sultry, bluesy big band production that goes hand in hand with strings and gospel choir and strings. The languorous quality of Slow makes it the sexiest song of the record whereas Finer Feelings takes the crown for the most seductive. Elsewhere on the record, Minogue is given an opportunity to showcase her vocals on a handful of piano ballads such as Better the Devil You Know, Come into My World and a new song called Flower. Broadway fans will appreciate the new glammed-up I Should be so Lucky, a song so fairytale-like it reminds us of a romantic dance scene from a Disney animation.
With the exception of The Locomotion and a few acoustic offerings, The Abbey Road Sessions tends to get bogged down in orchestral grandeur and brooding balladry. As a result, fans of the more upbeat, dancefloor-friendly Minogue are at risk of becoming bored with the album's relatively sluggish pace. However, if you're able to get over this one small gripe, The Abbey Road Sessions offers a one-of-a-kind experience that not many pop stars can deliver. She once pointed out in an interview prior to the release that the record ''... just rounds things up, makes things more whole and satisfies a different place in me''. And it couldn't be more true, because the album brilliantly showcases her artistic versatility and creative vision, only encouraging us to look forward to more.
THE PLAYLIST
Greasy Cafe/Ngao Kong Fon
The name Apichai Trakulpadejkrai might not ring any bells, but his solo project Greasy Cafe will most definitely get the nod of approval from the local indie crowd. An indisputable icon among dek naew (indie kids), the photographer-turned-singer/songwriter shares with us a new single taken from his third studio album, The Journey Without Maps. Ngao Kong Fon (Shadow of the Rain) starts off with simple ukulele strumming before the accordion joins in to create the fusion of sound rarely heard in Thai music. With lines such as: ''If we take things exactly as they are, the truth will guide us to a better understanding,'' the man is still on top form lyrically. It's philosophical, yet still catchy enough to appeal to a wider audience.
Rihanna (featuring Chris Brown)/ Nobody's Business
Following her uncharacteristically tame last single, Diamonds, pop starlet Rihanna is back to getting everyone fired up again with Nobody's Business, a duet featuring her infamous ex, Chris Brown. Sampling Michael Jackson's classic The Way You Make Me Feel, this throwback gem sees the two ex-lovers professing their devotion to one another, singing: ''It ain't nobody's business/Just mine, and my baby.'' Alright, hint taken. Brown does a respectable job channelling his inner Jacko, further enhancing the track's smooth retro groove that lends itself nicely to Rihanna's cool and edgy flair.
Lenka/Everything at Once
Regardless of where you heard it _ on US TV series Grey's Anatomy, or more recently, ads for Windows 8 _ it's hard not to smile hearing Lenka's latest single, Everything at Once. Responsible for hit singles including The Show and Trouble, Australian singer-songwriter Lenka is a queen of creating fun and quirky music coupled with equally whimsical lyrics. If the track's charming DIY sensibility doesn't make you grin, the opening lines (''As sly as a fox, as strong as an ox/As fast as a hare, as brave as a bear'') should do the trick.
Citizens!/ True Romance
Set for their Bangkok debut on Dec 4, London-based electro-pop outfit Citizens! are everything you can expect from a band that's signed to the uber-stylish French label Kitsune (the same label as Irish indie group Two Door Cinema Club). Impeccably dressed, these lads make art-rock accessible and palatable, thanks to their producer Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand. Like their first single Reptile, True Romance is a delightful take on the '80s, featuring catchy synths and playful sound effects that will stick in your head for days to come.
Alicia Keys/ Brand New Me
After attempting to sass things up on Girl on Fire with the help of rapper Nicki Minaj, R&B powerhouse Alicia Keys teams up with British singer-songwriter Emeli Sande to deliver the kind of empowering piano ballad Keys is famed for. ''If I talk a little louder, if I speak up when you're wrong/If I walk a little taller, I'd be known to you too long,'' she croons, ''Don't be mad, it's just the brand new kind of me.'' The stripped down melody then builds up to an understated electronic breakdown, creating an anthemic conclusion that's both powerful and memorable.
