Llewellyn
is Jamie Llewellyn. Llewellyn normally composes and
records instrumental works; many have been used for
commercials and on film scores. 'An Audience Of Angels'
is Llewellyn's first solo vocal album containing eleven
self penned songs performed by 'the family that plays
together'.
'An
Audience Of Angels' is a pretty chilled out affair
- featuring the massively impressive, multi-instrumentalist
Jamie Llewellyn (vocals, grand piano, acoustic guitars,
bass, keyboards and programming), life partner Juliana
(vocals), daughter Alana (guitar) and Colin McLeod
(drums and percussion). 'An Audience Of Angels' is
a bit like a modern-day opera in two acts; full of
classical feeling and orchestral nuances pulled together
with contemporary 'pop' writing, mature lyrics and
an overall feeling of balladic charm and melodious
beauty. Imagine Elton John meets George Gershwin under
the joint production supervision of George Martin
and Trevor Horn - or something resembling that!
Llewellyn
proves that he's not just a musical composer that
inks dots on manuscript paper - he proves in no uncertain
terms that he's also a very accomplished lyricist.
Oh, and then there's the added bonus of Llewellyn
the musician; extremely talented Llewellyn plays with
tangible emotion and superb feel. His voice is beautifully
suited to the mellow, chilled vibe that persists throughout
this impressive work.
Although
'An Audience Of Angels' doesn't really tear down any
musical boundaries, it's a superb piece of composition
that sits probably 'middle-of-the-road' and doesn't
take too many chances. That's absolutely fine - it
is what it is!! Wherever it sits, it sits well - it's
a stunningly crafted piece of 'soft-pop' with big
ambitions. 'An Audience Of Angels' is great as background
music but works equally well, if not better, when
it rattles the 'cones'. The recording and production
is extremely crisp and delicately handled; everything
can be heard clearly and easily - it's quality through
and through!
I'm
not actually sure where 'An Audience Of Angels' by
Llewellyn is being targeted; it's definitely one for
the more mature muso with a true sense of musical
purpose and a lover of all things musical. It sort
of reminds me of 'easy listening' for the house and
home (and I don't mean that badly!) - it's just got
a very BBC Radio 2 feel to it - it's inoffensive yet
seductively sensuous. Whatever, 'An Audience Of Angels'
by Llewellyn is an album that really needs to be heard
in its entirety - time should be taken out to listen
and enjoy, let yourself drift off into its vibes and
just enjoy the moment. Of its kind, 'An Audience Of
Angels' by Llewellyn is a superb piece of mood-music
that deserves to do well for Jamie Llewellyn aka Llewellyn.
Peter
J Brown aka toxic pete
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