Although she may be a new face on the American music scene, make no mistake about it -- New Zealand-born singer-songwriter Brooke Fraser certainly is not an amateur when it comes to song-writing, singing, or performing on stage.
At only twenty-four years of age, Brooke has already reached thirteen-times platinum status in New Zealand for her albums What to Do with Daylight and Albertine; garnered four Tui Awards (New Zealand’s equivalent of America’s GRAMMYs) for “Best Female Artist,” “Breakthrough Artist,” “Highest Selling Album,” and “Radio Airplay Record of the Year”; and toured with well-established mainstream acts such as John Mayer and David Bowie. On top of that, she has penned some of the latest Hillsong worship hits including “None But Jesus” and “Hosanna,” which has already received over 1,500,000 plays on YouTube. Nevertheless, Brooke shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon and is now ready to expand her horizons even further by introducing her music to yet another region of the world.
Releasing her USA debut, Albertine, Brooke Fraser brings a refreshing wind of poetic creativity and a sound paralleled by no other. With brilliant musicianship and great lyrical depth, this young artist sets the bar high and gives listeners a sound which will only leave them hungering for more.
From the opening melodies of Albertine, songs such as “Shadowfeet” and “Deciphering Me” each feature Fraser’s talents on the guitar and piano and showcase her ability to utilize her strengths as a musician and singer in balance to create a wonderfully expressive piece of music. Maintaining a more stripped down and simple manner, these tracks carry a very intimate and lively quality, yet certainly do not fail in delivering a dynamic and moving musical experience with the fascinating percussive sounds, solid bass playing, and subtle yet enhancing guitar effects heard throughout.
Furthermore, the unique instrumental “Epilogue” reveals a more experimental rock element of the album reminiscent of Mute Math and the likes. Yet, it fits appropriately as an epic finale of the captivating “C.S. Lewis Song” and sits comfortably in the middle of this folk/pop gem, never sounding unnatural or out of place.
Yet, despite the exceptional musical quality, most notable on this record is the abundance of profound and insightful lyrics perfectly woven into every song. Throughout songs such as “C.S. Lewis Song” and “Hosea’s Wife,” Fraser creates an astounding imagery and a smoothly flowing stream of lyrics characteristic of those written by some of the best songwriters. Additionally, her ability to compose music that matches the emotion of the words, as seen in “Albertine,” “Faithful,” and “Hymn,” allows Fraser’s angelic voice and poignant lyrics to shine through.
With both stirring, compelling messages and lighthearted irony (“The Thief”), Albertine immediately turns away any preconceived notions of acoustic-based pop being dull or repetitive and proves to be among this year’s best debut releases. Without a doubt, Brooke Fraser is one of music’s finest and most promising upcoming female artists!
Article by Elizabeth Chan, Music Faith Writer
