BBC review

 

 

A fantastic fifth album from a Pop Idol who continues to deliver the goods.

 

Ian Wade 2011-08-12

 

Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of Will Young participating in the more innocent, pre-X Factor Pop Idol, the show he won at the start of 2002. It landed him on Planet Pop with a carefully stage-managed precision that has since seen a decade of hopefuls either make it (Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke, JLS) or crash and burn before a stint on whatever other reality show will have them.

 

Young was vastly superior to his nearest rival at the time of his breakthrough, Gareth Gates (who came unstuck approximately 18 months into his music career), and come his second album – 2003’s Friday’s Child, featuring the brilliant single Leave Right Now – he’d grabbed hold of every aspect of his music, taking control so as not to suffer a similar fate. From then he knocked out two more albums, issued a greatest hits compilation in 2009, and recently worked with Groove Armada on the dance duo’s 2010 LP Black Light.

 

For his fifth album, representing something of a new chapter for Young following his best-of set, he has teamed up with super-producer Richard X – the man behind past hits for Saint Etienne, M.I.A., Kelis and Goldfrapp. But it was actually the X-produced Steve Mason album, 2010’s much-acclaimed Boys Outside, which prompted Young to seek him out in the first place. The results of that suggest he was exceedingly wise to do so, as Echoes is a triumph.

 

Throughout these 13 tracks, while never taking a wild leap into gabba territory, X brings subtle elements of dancefloor delights present and future into arrangements complementing Young’s tunes of love, longing and regret, making this a high quality affair all round. The hands-aloft joyousness of lead single Jealousy is just one of the highpoints; other moments of magic come along with Silent Valentine, which sounds like a giant hit you feel you’ve known forever, and I Just Want a Lover is a foxy boo-hoo-beneath-the-mirrorball future classic.

 

And standouts continue to present themselves. Losing Myself sounds like a mid-80s Climie Fisher keytar-and-crap-hair turbo ballad. He sounds completely at home in the environs of Lie Next to Me, while the chimes and cowbells of Good Things sound like something Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis may have handed out to someone with fierce shoulder pads in 1985 (in other words, it’s amazing).

 

Echoes is a fantastic, perfectly crafted adult pop album for people who’ve long wondered if such a thing existed anymore. It deserves to be reasonably enormous. Bravo, Will.

Edited August 12, 201113 yr by Sunday

BBC review

A fantastic fifth album from a Pop Idol who continues to deliver the goods.

 

Ian Wade 2011-08-12

 

Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of Will Young participating in the more innocent, pre-X Factor Pop Idol, the show he won at the start of 2002. It landed him on Planet Pop with a carefully stage-managed precision that has since seen a decade of hopefuls either make it (Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke, JLS) or crash and burn before a stint on whatever other reality show will have them.

 

Young was vastly superior to his nearest rival at the time of his breakthrough, Gareth Gates (who came unstuck approximately 18 months into his music career), and come his second album – 2003’s Friday’s Child, featuring the brilliant single Leave Right Now – he’d grabbed hold of every aspect of his music, taking control so as not to suffer a similar fate. From then he knocked out two more albums, issued a greatest hits compilation in 2009, and recently worked with Groove Armada on the dance duo’s 2010 LP Black Light.

 

For his fifth album, representing something of a new chapter for Young following his best-of set, he has teamed up with super-producer Richard X – the man behind past hits for Saint Etienne, M.I.A., Kelis and Goldfrapp. But it was actually the X-produced Steve Mason album, 2010’s much-acclaimed Boys Outside, which prompted Young to seek him out in the first place. The results of that suggest he was exceedingly wise to do so, as Echoes is a triumph.

 

Throughout these 13 tracks, while never taking a wild leap into gabba territory, X brings subtle elements of dancefloor delights present and future into arrangements complementing Young’s tunes of love, longing and regret, making this a high quality affair all round. The hands-aloft joyousness of lead single Jealousy is just one of the highpoints; other moments of magic come along with Silent Valentine, which sounds like a giant hit you feel you’ve known forever, and I Just Want a Lover is a foxy boo-hoo-beneath-the-mirrorball future classic.

 

And standouts continue to present themselves. Losing Myself sounds like a mid-80s Climie Fisher keytar-and-crap-hair turbo ballad. He sounds completely at home in the environs of Lie Next to Me, while the chimes and cowbells of Good Things sound like something Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis may have handed out to someone with fierce shoulder pads in 1985 (in other words, it’s amazing).

 

Echoes is a fantastic, perfectly crafted adult pop album for people who’ve long wondered if such a thing existed anymore. It deserves to be reasonably enormous. Bravo, Will.

 

WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!!!! :dance: :w00t: :yahoo:

 

Echoes is indeed a TRIUMPH & deserves to be ENORMOUS. :dance:

:dance: :yahoo: :cheer: :w00t:

 

They get better and better - so proud of him :wub:

:dance: :yahoo: :cheer: :w00t:

 

They get better and better - so proud of him :wub:

 

That one actually brought a tear to my eye & ain't usually sentimental. How must he feel reading these reviews, especially as he's co-written all these tracks. :wub:

What I like is that richard had no hand in the writing of the songs - Will took them all finished for Richard to work his magic on them. And with a brand new microphone for the job he's done that without a shadow of a doubt.

 

Congratulations all round.

Thanks Sunday! what a brialliant review!!!! :cheer: Just Amazing :cry: so proud of him. :wub:

 

Nice.

colincrummyColin Crummy

Got ALOT of time for new @will_young31 album. Like a whole day, like today.

Assistant Editor of the Attitude mag.

Nice.

 

Assistant Editor of the Attitude mag.

 

Great tweet from the Assistant Editor.

Love it!

 

Elaine

Lovely comment from the assistant editor. Thanks Bev.

 

Wonder if we'll get an Album review in Attitude?

 

Nice to see you posting Elaine. :)

Thanks to Julie (Will4me)

 

Not a the indepth review we were waitng for from Dean Piper but I suppose he said it all on Twitter. :lol:

 

Will Young's new album Echoes is seriously funky

 

by Dean Piper, Sunday Mirror 14/08/2011

 

 

WILL YOUNG’s new album Echoes is seriously good. It’s full of funk – including lead single Jealousy – and is far more electro and Eighties than his other stuff.

 

He told me: “It’s been a dream. It’s not been rushed and it’s all been very natural. It’s definitely my most confident album.”

 

And don’t go worrying about Will, 32, turning into a diva after 10 years in the business.

 

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“My friends keep me grounded,” he laughed as we enjoyed a drink at London’s Soho House. “There’s not a touch of Mariah Carey or J-Lo in me.”

 

 

 

 

Just read this post from Trish.

 

It is great that Radio 2 are promoting Will. Echoes is also album of the week on Smooth Radio next week, I think that tracks are going to be played during the Andy Peebles show which is on between 8 p.m. and midnight.

 

Smooth have always supported Will in the past but I thnk Jealousy was probably a bit too upbeat for them. Happy they have Echoes as their album of the week as I would have thought their listeners are more likely to be album buyers. :D

 

Just read this post from Trish.

Smooth have always supported Will in the past but I thnk Jealousy was probably a bit too upbeat for them. Happy they have Echoes as their album of the week as I would have thought their listeners are more likely to be album buyers. :D

Oohhh I wonder if jealousy will be added to their playlist they have a big audience ...they have about 6 stations which altogether have an audience of 3.2 million. (Andy Peebles is on all their stations)

 

 

Just had a look and I would not have thought echoes fitted on that show though he does play a couple of new tracks.

http://www.smoothradioeastmidlands.co.uk/c...-week/mkxww6ih/

 

Edit to say all the shows are doing competitions to win his album

http://www.smoothradioeastmidlands.co.uk/p...songs/j86pi453/

 

http://www.smoothradiolondon.co.uk/competi...-rgmf/rgmf2ar6/

Edited August 14, 201113 yr by Sunday

Oohhh I wonder if jealousy will be added to their playlist they have a big audience ...they have about 6 stations which altogether have an audience of 3.2 million. (Andy Peebles is on all their stations)

Just had a look and I would not have thought echoes fitted on that show though he does play a couple of new tracks.

http://www.smoothradioeastmidlands.co.uk/c...-week/mkxww6ih/

 

Edit to say all the shows are doing competitions to win his album

http://www.smoothradioeastmidlands.co.uk/p...songs/j86pi453/

 

http://www.smoothradiolondon.co.uk/competi...-rgmf/rgmf2ar6/

 

Lots more listeners for Will. :cheer:

 

He really has tried to cover all bases with this release. :dance:

 

 

Thanks girls - all good stuff :dance:

Thanks to Pauline.

 

Playlist

 

FIRST LISTEN (Daily star August 13)

 

Returning on an electro trip is a great move for the original Pop Idol.

Will's honeyed vocals mix perfectly with delicate dance beats on his new disc out August 22.

The album seems to address the stages of a breakup.

Lie Next to Me will have you swallowing back a mini lump.

Disco groover I Just Want a Lover, about no strings fun, has sadness at it's core.

Piano ballad Outsider is a highlight whilst single Jealousy is his finest yet.

 

..........................................................................................................................

Music guy from the US.

17days David Russell

the song "Come On" on the new @will_young31 album, Echoes, is one of the best I've heard all year. Absolutely stunning!

:P

will_young31Will Young

@17days i love you!! x

 

As Will indicated on Dermot that next year at least until the end will be about the album..do you think that means we will be getting a fourth single/

Edited August 14, 201113 yr by Sweetwilliamfan

Thanks Bev.

 

I hope Echoes does get a wider release.

 

Tweets from his celeb fans.

 

charlottesalt Charlotte Salt

@ @will_young31 amazing ! I'm going to iplayer it! .. Dermot best show x

29 minutes ago

arlenephillips Arlene Phillips

@ @will_young31 Will you are clever very clever so TWEET the link

38 minutes ago

:dance: Love the description.

xolondonStephen Sears

Get ready for Echoes, @will_young31 fans. It is a sleek beauty.

We're ready :w00t:

 

Up to #15 on Amazon #2 on pre-orders.

:w00t: :dance: :yahoo: :cheer: :w00t:

 

Surely Amazon will make Echoes their download album of the week (£3.99) which will encourage even more sales.

 

:w00t: :w00t: :cheer: :cheer: :yahoo: :cheer: :cheer: :w00t: :w00t:

Just how fantastic is that :w00t:

so hope they do Gill

its getting more and more exciting as release gets nearer, we will all be emotional wrecks then :P

 

Thanks Sunday

 

Ive only listened to the clips a couple of times on the day they were posted,i am not even going to listen on R2 next week ...saving myself for the day i get the album in my sweaty hot hands

I used to be strong like you but now im more like Gill and fail at the last hurdle :heehee:

 

As Will indicated on Dermot that next year at least until the end will be about the album..do you think that means we will be getting a fourth single

 

I know they did a Mr Greedy, but not sure about a Mrs :teresa: :thinking: :heehee:

 

love Phil xxx

Edited August 14, 201113 yr by phil3579