Not Your Muse (studio album) by Celeste (UK)

Before getting on to the album itself, I think it would be appropriate to clear up that I may have a slight prejudice againist it, but I' ll do my best to restrain it and keep an open mind - and ear. First of all, it's been one of the most hyped up albums of the year, it seemed to me there was no occassion where it was being brought up without someone drawing a parallel between her and Adele. Apart from the heavy promotion, a second factor that has stopped me from checking it out so far and might affect my perception of it is that at the moment I'm listening to tons of music from the past, so any album with a retro aesthetic is bound to leave a meh impression, I need something more "modern" for a refreshing change. Anyway, I guess it was about time to find out what the fuss is all about. As far as 2021 albums are concerned, the obvious comparison would be Arlo Parks. Celeste's vocals are more spectacular, though she tries her best to hide it, very rarely does she overdo it, annoyingly rubbing in your face see how good of a singer she is. On the other hand, she doesn’t have the same charm, neither is she as captivating or entertaining. Her sound is also pop-based, but instead of r & b, it lies somewhere between jazz and soul. In general, the striking problem with this is that it has more variety than it can handle, it feels more like a compilation than an actual album - but without the songs to back it up. This makes some sense, considering it's her debut and she is still in search of an artistic identity, she throws everything at the wall and sees what sticks. The lyrics are kinda decent, nothing extraordinary or challenging, but nothing horrible or cringeworthy either. It's higly unlikely that I'll revisit it, but still better than I initially thought.

From Mercury 01/29/2021 19:51

90 to 95/100 (Absolutely beautiful debut from pop/soul/R&B/singer-songwriter Celeste. I am enamored by the wordplay, the compositions, the equal parts reserved and incredibly bright production, and HER VOICE (Her voice most of all). This is just really great.)

I really, REALLY like this album. Hell, I'll even say "Love". I love it. When I truly am smitten with an album after 3-4 listens I have so many thoughts on what I like about it, as well as what I would say are small critiques, that I tend to get all jammed up and find it hard to articulate my thoughts on the album. At least hard to articulate without either 1). being overly hyperbolic or effusive or 2). going on and on and on about small details. With that disclaimer out of the way I'll say some things about this here debut album by Celeste Waite.

This is the debut LP by British American soul/R&B/Singer-songwriter Celeste Epiphany Waite. As I had heard some of her singles leading up to this album, I was getting more and more intrigued. The singles were consistently excellent and soulful. My expectations this debut were high and I am happy to say this album exceeded them.

I admire this album on multiple levels. The lyrical songwriting is absolutely great. The first track out the gates puts her sassy yet heartfelt writing voice on display. On "Ideal Woman" when the chorus came in with "I may not be your ideal woman/The heaven in your head/The one that's gonna save you/From all your discontent/May not be your ideal woman/The freedom that you'd get/Please don't mistake me/For somebody who cares." I knew I was hooked. It doesn't hurt that the track itself is also this subtly jazzy, quiet and gorgeous thing that compliments the words so well.

Her lyrical skill shows up throughout, especially with the truly brilliant song "Strange (Edit)" ("Isn't it strange?/How people can change/From strangers to friends/Friends into lovers/And strangers again?") and on the haunting and sad "A Kiss", and also "Tell Me Something I Don't Know".

Vocally, she is a force. Sometimes the way she closes songs or parts of songs with a certain dramatic flourish is a bit much for my taste, but that is only like 4 times in the entire album. Generally, she has this smoky, soulful, assured voice that she uses to full effect throughout the album. At times you can hear the Billie Holiday influence, and sometimes on the more upbeat and intense vocal parts she sounds like Amy Winehouse. But mostly she just sounds like her own unique vocal talent. Her rendition of "A Little Love" is so intimate and stirring, whether she is doing a quiet melodic melody or when she soars and makes that whispered voice soar, the whole thing and all its little nuances are stellar.

Finally, as far as the music, its a consistently strong batch of sounds and tracks. It could be very vaguely called Pop Soul, but that isn't exactly it. There is a variety of styles on this debut (to a point where the flow of the songs one to the next isn't always the best or isn't super smooth) ranging from the folky and somber closer "Some Goodbyes Come With Hellos", to the very epic and almost Adele-esque killer of a single "Stop This Flame", to the very atmospheric, watery title track, to the slow-burning, austere soulfulness of the opener "Ideal Woman", to the dreamy and downright mesmerizing "Strange (Edit), to the dancy, overt, drum-heavy vibe of "Tonight Tonight", etc.

Start to finish this album does it for me. The first 6 tracks and the closing 3 in particular really are impressive. Maybe the 2 tracks in between need to grow on me more - though that's not to say the jazzy "Beloved", and the VERY Back to Black-era Amy Winehouse-sounding "Love Is Back" are bad, they are actually quite good, they just haven't yet sunk their claws into me fully.)

Anyway, I think this is great, and I recommend it.