Jazzphotography Holland

Chloe Charles – Break the Balance

In october 2013 I saw her for the first time live on stage, and that concert was so good that I was excited to get my hands on the cd “Break the Balance”. After hearing her a few times on the cd player in the car and at home, it was time for a review. In general: Chloe Charles has an excellent voice and she is very skilled. Most songs are quite different and that makes it really nice to listen to this cd, since no song is the same. The arrangements for the songs and choice of musicians, especially the violins, have been excellent. They fit very well with the depths Chloe can put in her voice. Songs tend to be a bit dark and dramatic and make you wonder what’s it all about.

The cd starts with (girl I like your) “Business” a nice song about a woman in love-trouble seeming to make wrong choices. Then we come to (will she) “Find her way” a song about a woman standing at an intersection unsecure of making the right choices. Could be Chloe herself?  Chloe seemed to have found the good solution singing “don’t think too hard, cause you can’t force life”. She takes the listener into this song which I like, but this time it’s less dramatic. Next on the cd is “Tarot”, also a song about looking into the future, now more poetic and textual very strong. Although I like her voice, this song is too slow for me.. it seems to have a brake on.

“My child” goes another direction. It has less to do with rhythm and more with the great voice of Chloe and is an excellent song to listen to. Strong lyrics and the way she sing for example “so trek on” is really a very good example of how she sings. For me it sounds a little bit like Tanita Tikaram.

For me “Refrain from fire” is the absolute topsong of this album. It shows all her skills and touches you deeply. What a great emotion she puts in this song. She really makes contact with this song.

“Soldier” is for me a little bit the same direction like “My child”.  “Captive” is a more or less sad song which is underlined by the violins which fit in well here, although the song needs a bit more power.

“Plastic life Vignette” makes you wonder but is too short to give the answer. “Break the balance”, handles the dilemma a woman can have when the man she loves likes another woman.  You can feel the hurt inside this song the ways she sings it.

“Amulet” is again poetic and touching with strong violins accompanying. “Nottingham premonitions” gave me sometimes to those old great songs of Kate Bush. This story graps you and make you want to listen how the story ends enjoying this great voice.

In “God is a Toad” Chloe is at her best. The songs starts slow but finally it ends a bit faster. And in between all her skills in singing are shown. Going up in the same great way as handling a deep dark voice. Exciting. Not written on the cd cover but also there too small songs: “Disowned” and “Let’s get naked”. a nice surprise to end with.

My conclusion: buy the cd and go and see this woman if she is nearby!

http://www.chloecharles.com/music/

CD; Chloe Charles

titel: Break the Balance

company: Make my day Records

release:  august 2013