The album is soo good. Fave tracks: I Got U, Outta My Head, Lost Then Found & Love Letter. :wub:
Featured Replies
Brave [Live at Hackney Empire] is awesome. So glad they included it. Epic live performance. :wub:
Digital Spy review:
If any contemporary popstar doesn't deserve to be socked in the chops at a book signing, it's Leona Lewis. Since winning The X Factor in 2006, she's radically recalibrated the potential career trajectory for any talent show star, topping the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, selling more than six million copies of her debut album Spirit, and giving us a bona fide modern classic in the form of 'Bleeding Love'. The Hackney lass's only flaw? That she's tended to show all the charisma of a toddler taking a cat-nap.
However, there's no faulting her ability to belt out a big old pop song - something which Echo, her eagerly-anticipated second album, delivers in abundance. As befits an artist with Lewis's industry slump-defying sales figures, it features production from the cream of contemporary hitmakers, including Ryan 'Bleeding Love' Tedder, John 'Patience' Shanks and Max 'Bloody Everything' Martin, while Justin Timberlake co-writes, co-produces and contributes backing vocals to the lovely 'Don't Let Me Down'. Echo leans more towards soft rock than her R&B-tinged debut, but it's no less bombastic, filled with beefy beats, swelling strings and epic crescendos. The (melo)dramatic high point? Lewis wailing "Saaave me!" over a ludicrously overwrought, choir-assisted climax on 'Broken'.
But it's not just the production that's a tad O.T.T. - the songs themselves are full-to-brimming with emotional excess. Lewis bags co-writing credits on nine of these 14 tracks - seven more than on Spirit - and for a woman in a long-term and by all accounts loving relationship, she's remarkably preoccupied with breaking up. And breaking up in such tumultuous fashion! A selection of typical lines from Echo: "I cannot function with you." "My heart it beats, but inside I'm freezing." "There's a heartbreaking chill running through my bones." That the album features a hidden bonus track called 'Stone Hearts and Hand Grenades' pretty much says it all.
Subtle it ain't, but there's no denying that Echo is effective. The likes of lead single 'Happy', the Middle Eastern-tinged 'Brave' and 'I Got You', with its swooping chorus hook, are as compelling as midtempo, MOR pop music come. A cover of Oasis's 'Stop Crying My Heart Out', meanwhile, is as satisfying as a sponge pudding on a winter afternoon. Several songs slip into blandness, and a certain saminess does creep in at times, but even the less memorable moments are salvaged by Lewis's consistently impressive vocal performances. Best of all, Echo features a genuine surprise in the form of 'Outta My Head', a Eurodancey floor-filler with a "F**k you!" lyric and a chorus Cascada would sell their singer for.
It will be interesting to see how Lewis - still remarkably callow as a live performer - tackles these grandiose songs on her first arena tour next year. Until then, this most unassuming of superstars should congratulate herself on a job well done. Echo may lack a moment as transcendent as 'Bleeding Love', but it's more cohesive, more consistent and more contemporary-sounding than her debut. A few staging lessons with Brian Friedman, and perhaps some kind of an agreement with Big Tony, and she'll be set fair.
http://images.digitalspy.co.uk/design/rating_4stars.gif
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/albumrev...lewis-echo.html
a "F**k You" lyric??? :lol: i assume the reviewer just meant metaphorically?? As i certainly can't hear Leona dropping the F-Bomb lol!
Oh and I completely agree with this line "Echo may lack a moment as transcendent as 'Bleeding Love', but it's more cohesive, more consistent and more contemporary-sounding than her debut" :wub:
My copy came today :wub:
Gutted she didn't have writing credits on two of my favourites ('I Got You' & 'Outta My Head') but I'm happy she had some involvement with 'Naked' at least :heehee:
Leona also has vocal production credits on every song except for Outta My Head. :wub:
And also on writng/VP credit on Happy b-side Let It Rain.
Talented girl :D
Better quality version of the TV ad from Sony Ireland
type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>" data-tag="youtube" data-tagfull="<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="
name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="
type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>"><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="
name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="
type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>
OUT NOW :w00t:
Already #3 & #14 on iTunes album chart. I think Robbie was only about #9 this time last week :o!
Jonjo do you know if theres a live feed for the album chart? Sick having to keep going in and out of the store :drama:
My store doesn't even show her at those positions :(
I haven't got a clue about a feed, but do you drag the "See All Albums" link into your browser? That refreshes it.Jonjo do you know if theres a live feed for the album chart? Sick having to keep going in and out of the store :drama:
My store doesn't even show her at those positions :(
NOW NUMBER 1 ALREADY! :o AND 11!!
Oo showing up now! OMG #1 already. Wow! :w00t:
The 2 iTunes live tracks are:
Brave and First Time.
The video - Echo: A Reflection of Sound is just over 13 mins long too :wub:
Full 16 minute interview with Simon and Leona