CD Review: The Heart Of It – Liza Pulman

THE HEART OF IT – LIZA PULMAN (Downloads)

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Liza Pulman, best known as being one third of Fascinating Aida, has released a new album called The Heart of It in which she gives reimagined versions of timeless classics as well as lost gems.

The tracks include: ‘I Never Dreamed You’d Leave Me in Summer’, ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’, ‘Come in From the Rain’, ‘My Favourite Year’, ‘I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling’, ‘Some Other Time’, ‘My Father’, ‘Unchained Melody’, ‘I Never Meant to Hurt You’, ‘What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?’, ‘If I Only Had a Brain’, ‘When She Loved Me’, ‘What’ll I Do’, ‘How About Me’ and ‘Willst Du Bei Mir Bleiben’.

Pulman fans will be in seventh heaven and no doubt will be buying tickets for her upcoming concert tour as I type this review. They probably have also bought the CD and absolutely love it.

There is no denying that Pulman has a very lovely voice and she puts it to good use on many of the tracks. However, some work better than others for this reviewer. Some of the tracks are so laid back I thought they may actually slow to a stop at times ,such as ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’. In fact, all but three of the songs on the album are all slow, bluesy, jazzy tempi. The three more up-tempo numbers come as a bit of a relief to be honest – I just wish there had been more light and shade in the arrangements. However, if you are looking for a laid-back album with a beautiful singer then you will certainly not be disappointed.

Nick Wakeham