Album Review: Celeste – Not Your Muse
••• Not Your Muse •••
Celeste had a monumental 2020 despite the whole COVID situation. Starting the year with a bang by being crowned BBC Music’s ‘Sound of 2020’.
Around the same time Celeste released her banger ‘Stop This Flame‘, a track which stands out on the album because of it’s dance undercurrents, the tune drives along with some piano house, it’s hard not to hear Sub Sub (early 90’s Doves) in the music but even though the track is busy, it is the unbelievably commanding vocals of Celeste which provide the goosebumps.
‘Not Your Muse’ kicks off with ‘Ideal Woman‘, and instantly your attention is grabbed with its laid back groove and the songbird singing about not really giving a care for what somebody thinks about her.
The heartbreaking ‘Strange‘ comes next and is a gut-wrenching listen about growing apart from a lover to the point of no longer even knowing each other anymore. You feel the heartache when she sings “Isn’t it strange how people can change, from strangers to friends, friends into lovers and strangers again.“
It’s a welcoming moment when ‘Tonight Tonight‘ and ‘Stop This Flame‘ come along in the album after such lows of the start. ‘Tonight Tonight’ channels Celeste‘s inner Amy Winehouse.
‘Tell Me Something I Don’t Know‘ takes the album into some poppy middle ground between the extreme lows and highs of the record. The album is prominently Jazz and Soul infused, these poppy and dancey moments bind the record together.
The title track ‘Not Your Muse‘ is a cinematic tune which has all the hallmarks of being the soundtrack of a big movie/tv moment. Celeste is no stranger to having her tracks appear on the screen, ‘A Little Love‘ stepped into big shoes by being the 2020 John Lewis advert track and ‘Stop This Flame‘ has also found itself on Sky Sports and Royal Mail adverts.
Latest single ‘Love Is Back‘ is possibly the most catchy on ‘Not Your Muse’, with many orchestral layers punching away it’s a real top tapper which is topped off with a smooth chorus.
The album finishes with ‘Some Goodbyes Come with Hellos‘. This gives Celeste one last opportunity to showcase both her tender and intriguing vocals. Pretty apt to end on this track too as when you finish you want to restart so it is goodbye and hello in more ways than she is actually singing about.
‘Not Your Muse’ is a moreish album with some interesting directions. The track which takes your fancy will change with every listen and depending on the mood that you’re in.
Celeste has thrown her hat into the ring with the likes of Amy Winehouse, Adele and Florence and the Machine with this record. 2020 was a huge year for Celeste but 2021 is shaping up to be even bigger.
‘Not You Muse’ is released tomorrow 29/01/2021
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