Jump to content

Will Young - Echoes

Sunday
in Pop and Country

Featured Replies

Thanks Sunday.

Wonderful supporting comments from Simon yet again.

Will Young's manager, Simon Fuller of XIX Entertainment, comments:

 

"It is wonderful to see Will Young with the number one album in the UK again, after 10 years of remarkable and consistent success. We all knew of Will's incredible vocal talents, however he has also now established himself as a consummate song writer and has become one of Britain's all time most successful male singer/songwriter's. It has been an inspiring journey."

 

Love this bit.

Released on August 22 2011, Echoes entered the UK album charts at No.1 on Sunday 29 August. The album includes the now released single, Jealousy, and brilliantly showcases Young's deft lyricism and sensitive vocals, for which is now renowned. Already a favourite for album of the year, make sure your next album is Echoes.

Edited by Sweetwilliamfan

  • Replies 1.2k
  • Views 79.4k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

I'm happy Echoes is still at one on the amazon best sellers tonight. :dance: the Hits is at 26.

Also..he's at two in HMV, at two or one in the CD chart at Tesco's, two charts there and i;m not sure which to watch and at two on the Sainsbury site..

Links if you want to have a look see.

http://www.sainsburysentertainment.co.uk/e...format=music/cd

http://www.tescoentertainment.com/store/browse/cd/

http://hmv.com/hmvweb/home.do

Loving those comments from Simon Fuller. They both think so highly of each other.

Edited by truly talented

Review from Trash Lounge. :dance:

Album Review: Will Young – Echoes

 

 

Reality TV has come a long way since 2002′s inaugral ‘Pop Idol’ contest, in which Simon Cowell went one better than the Hear’Say-producing ‘Popstars’ by allowing the public to decide the eventual winner. Leaving Darius Danesh and Gareth Gates for dust, it was of course Will Young who cruised to victory, before releasing the biggest-selling single of the decade as his début.

 

Now, ten years to the month since his first audition, he releases his fifth studio album; and for the first time in his impressively long career he’s taking a slight departure from adult-friendly chill-pop in favour of a more dance-influenced approach. It should be stressed though that by “dance-influenced” I definitely don’t mean he’s off down the club, tearing up the floor with shorty, waving his hands in the air like he just don’t… you get the picture.

 

‘Echoes’ isn’t as drastic a change as it is perhaps perceived to be – this is still the same Will Young, just in a slightly more keyboard-heavy skin and with Richard X on production duties. Take lead single ‘Jealousy’ as an example – it may have shed the live instruments that made ‘Leave Right Now’ et al so successful, but it’s no less amazing for it. In fact, it’s one of the best singles of 2011; a heartbreaking track with a phenomenal chorus that only Will could do justice.

 

Truth be told, it’s the best song on the album, but that’s not to say the rest isn’t pretty damn good. ‘Come On’, ‘Silent Valentine’ and ‘Runaway’ are particular highlights, while tracks like ‘I Just Want A Lover’ and ‘Good Things’ would sound at home on a George Michael record. Some tracks on the back half of the LP initially sounds a bit samey and take a few listens to get familiar with, but that’s a minor quibble. ‘Echoes’ is a fantastic album of love songs from a man who’s not only reality TV’s first megastar, but the first winner to shake off the televised roots and become a credible singer-songwriter in his own right. Here’s to the next ten years…

http://trashlounge.co.uk/2011/08/30/album-...l-young-echoes/

Great to see Echoes still be singled out..Radio station in Kent. :D

kmfmradiokmfm

@NigelAnsell here on #kmfm Evenings. Will Young's new album is my Album of the Week this week.

Loads of positive reviews for this album.So pleased for him :wub:

A blog

JCS On The New Will Young Album

 

 

Will Young Echoes review

 

 

Written by James Christopher Sheppard

 

 

The original Pop Idol returns, Will Young releases his fifth studio album, Echoes, at the end of August. Young hasn’t made big waves since his second album Friday’s Child when it reached five times platinum status and provided him with the massive single ‘Leave Right Now’ and ‘Your Game’. However, all of his album releases have gone Top Ten in the UK and been certified platinum. The openly gay popstar clearly has a devoted and loyal fan base, but can Echoes propel him back to the success of his early days? The entire album is produced by electronic and synthpop producer Richard X, so the collection should be more attention-grabbing than Young’s last rather unmemorable effort, Let It Go.

 

 

‘Jealousy’

First single, ‘Jealousy’, has already created some excitement amongst the Young fan-base, perhaps due to the upbeat feel of the song. It’s a simple, breezy, emotional tinged synth pop with an 80s feel. The song does have a certain charm, but is unlikely to have the masses yearning to hear it over and over again.

5/10

 

 

‘Come On’

The tempo and mood is accelerated on ‘Game On’, combining the synth sound with an almost Florence and the Machine ‘Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)’ drum beat with an element of ‘Maps’ by the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s. While the song certainly shares some similarities with the aforementioned songs, ‘Game On’ feels modern, radio friendly and certainly more addictive than ‘Jealousy’.

8/10

 

 

‘Runaway’

Sister track to ‘Jealousy’, ‘Runaway’ is breezy with mellow 80s synths circulating around Young sticking to his higher register. This is pretty catchy, with a hypnotic melody.

6/10

 

 

‘Lie Next to Me’

It’s ballad time and ‘Lie Next to Me’ will make Will Young fans happy enough. It’s quite dream-like, with Young relying on his voice to carry the song. The production is almost like a boy band Christmas single from the late 90s or early 00s. The emotion comes across in Young’s vocal, but the lyrics are almost too simple to really evoke an emotional reaction. Some people will absolutely love it, some may not. I’m somewhere in the middle.

5/10

 

 

‘Safe From Harm’

Almost Scissor Sister sounding, ‘Safe From Harm’ has a slightly darker element to it than the first four tracks. The synths are complimented by a simple piano played melody and Young uses his voice more variably, which is a breath of fresh air at this point.

7/10

 

 

‘Good Things’

Will seems to have jumped eras and gone from the 80s into the mid 90s. ‘Good Things’ sounds inspired by George Michael’s classic hit ‘Fastlove’, which knowing his audience is possibly a stroke of genius. A pretty decent example of adult pop, I can already imagine my Mum listening to this on repeat.

8/10

 

 

‘Happy Now’

The first song to not rely on synth-pop is ‘Happy Now’. Usually I listen to a song while I write about it… I have to say I listened to the whole of this track and had only written one sentence. What can I say about ‘Happy Now’? It’s a pretty slow to mid-tempo song about Will singing about being happy now. The instrumentation is quite refreshing at this point and Will sounds more comfortable here than on some other points on the album, but it is a little dull.

4/10

 

 

‘Hearts on Fire’

Another tempo change, ‘Hearts on Fire’ is an understated dance number that I can imagine being played in Soho’s coolest bars. The melody is darker than most of the album and the whole song has a certain dangerous and intriguing sexuality about it.

8/10

 

 

‘Personal Thunder’

Another dark, brooding number, ‘Personal Thunder’ cements Young’s position as the current answer to being what George Michael was during his Older period. The emotion behind ‘Thunder’ is enchanting.

8/10

 

 

‘Losing Myself’

This is possibly the most 80s sounding track on the album to this point. It could almost be a hit factory produced mid-tempo ballad. It’s not bad.

6/10

 

 

‘Silent Valentine’

Featuring the most unique and original production on the collection, ‘Silent Valentine’ is transformed from just another synth-heavy electronic slow number, to a gradual captivating track that is one of the most memorable featured here.

8/10

 

 

‘I Just Want a Lover’

Appealing to a more mature ear, and perhaps a crowd at a swanky cocktail bar rather than your local Oceana club, ‘I Just Want a Lover’ picks up where ‘Good Things’ left off. ‘I just want a lover, nothing that is complicated. I don’t have to know you, we don’t have to talk about it’ Young sings as the song closes. Could this be Will’s sexiest moment yet?

8/10

 

 

‘Outsider’

The haunting nature of ‘Outsider’ mimics that of Adele’s ‘Hometown Glory’. It’s a brilliant way to round off the album, which at times is a little lacking in emotion. ‘Outsider’ is soft and hears Young as his most vulnerable here.

8/10

 

 

The prospect of sitting down and listening to Echoes from start to finish was not something I looked forward to doing. Until I saw that Richard X had been involved, I expected to hear something dreary and dull, but then I pressed play. While it may not be to everyone’s taste, Echoes will certainly charm those that already like Will Young and will definitely appeal to the adult-pop fans that loved George Michael during Older, as well as Darren Hayes solo efforts. Echoes is not the most original album, but it is well crafted and coherent. Whether Echoes will impact to wider audiences and be massive, is something else entirely, but it’s pretty good.

 

 

Overall score: 7/10

 

 

JCS is Eyewear's music critic and divides his time between London and Hull. He is currently working on a novel.

 

http://toddswift.blogspot.com/2011/08/jcs-...oung-album.html

Edited by phil3579

Thanks Phil - he has the tracks out of order - the album isn't 'rounded off' with Outsider :huh:
Thanks Phil - he has the tracks out of order - the album isn't 'rounded off' with Outsider :huh:

 

Oh :lol: I havent read it yet :unsure: :lol: was just popping stuff up to read later, im meeting Gill (pearl) for lunch so off out in tick

:cheer: thats brilliant Bev, but i just want a lover? oooh exciting wonder how that happened? :cheer:

I think it's just a radio chart Phil, but still good to see they like it on that station. :D

I think it's just a radio chart Phil, but still good to see they like it on that station. :D

 

Yes but its in Greece :cheer: :cheer: how have they got an album track, Will hasnt released out there has he? not yet?

Yes but its in Greece :cheer: :cheer: how have they got an album track, Will hasnt released out there has he? not yet?

He has released in a few places..but we're still not sure where, it is exciting to see his music mentioned in other places though and i suppose they could just play IJWAL on their station without it being released as a single if the album is out there to download?

He has released in a few places..but we're still not sure where, it is exciting to see his music mentioned in other places though and i suppose they could just play IJWAL on their station without it being released as a single if the album is out there to download?

 

I just seems a bit odd to me thats all, they are playing a top 40 chart on that station, with new entries, i wonder how that chart is compiled? its fantastic that IJWAL is getting played im chuffed to bits :cheer: seems to me that IJWAL is a single and the album must be released do we think? and if so how come we havent had any confirmation of this from the os?

seems to me that IJWAL is a single and the album must be released do we think? and if so how come we haven't had any confirmation of this from the os?

Only Jealousy is a single so far pip...I expect Jealousy will be the lead single everywhere as it's very popular and it has a stunning video ready to release. IJWYL may just be being played on that station is Greece as a preference for that station, it's just a bit random and all the links they post take you to YouTube..i don't understand it but i'll just go with the fact that it's Greece and leave it at that. :lol:

I wonder when we find out what the next single will be here though.?

Edited by Sweetwilliamfan

Only Jealousy is a single so far pip...I expect Jealousy will be the lead single everywhere as it's very popular and it has a stunning video ready to release. IJWYL may just be being played on that station is Greece as a preference for that station, it's just a bit random and all the links they post take you to YouTube..i don't understand it but i'll just go with the fact that it's Greece and leave it at that. :lol:

I wonder when we find out what the next single will be here though.?

 

i dont understand either, it is as you say very random, im sure it will all come out in the wash at sometime,

ooh i dunno, when do you think? do you think if we do get 4 singles they will be packed closer together say 10 weeks apart? so maybe in say 6 weeks time or do you think thats a bit too close?

I think as the airplay for Jealousy is good they will wait a bit for the second single, if the single had been dropped from radio already they would of had a second single ready fairly quickly i suppose, i still think that we will get four singles. Nov/Dec for the second..feb/March and then June/July maybe?

I wonder then when we would get news of a second? End of September Beginning of October? perhaps. :dance:

Create an account or sign in to comment

Go to topic listing

Recently Browsing 0

  • No registered users viewing this page.