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Natalie Walker: Urban Angel

By Keith Hannaleck

Artist: Natalie Walker
Album: Urban Angel
Genre: Dance-Electronic
Label: Dorado / Quanqo Music Group
Website: www.natalie-walker.com
Purchase this CD: CD Baby

When I read about the song of the siren luring seafaring men to their doom in classic literature, I imagine singing like that of Natalie Walker. Her vocalization is gentle and sweet to the ears, and the only word I can find to describe her voice is dulcet. Add to that her physical beauty; she has the sort of fair complexion and big blue eyes that make you want to put your arms around her and protect her from the cruelty of the world. Her lyrics are personal and exhibit an emotional and spiritual maturity, and she has the uncanny ability to team up with gifted musician/composers. For her debut solo album, Natalie Walker has pulled all of these elements together and given us Urban Angel.

To classify Urban Angel as a solo album is almost a prevarication because, although Natalie pours herself into every song, the contributions of Stuhr members Dan Chen and Nate Greenberg and their friends are significant. The compositions are sensual and melodic, like on “Crush.” Natalie sings about giving her innocence to her first lover, inviting us to bare witness, to vicariously participate in this intimate moment as she breathily sings the words “This is strong and sweet / I wanna keep it going / stop the noise in our heads / just take it in.” The slow drumbeat with sustained electric guitar and the plucked sound of harp strings layered with xylophone, keyboard and acoustic guitar create an ethereal, almost dreamlike sound that can best be described as euphonic. Natalie lays before her lover the proposition that she will follow him anywhere he takes her, and then she takes a bite from the apple.

If “Crush” is about that fleeting moment of lovers’ bliss, “Quicksand” is surely about the heartache and shame that follow. Here, the Romeo who inspired so much desire in the previous song has abandoned Natalie. The song begins with a solemn organ, and then progresses into a multi layered dirge as she laments, “I must have been so stupid / I must have been so out of touch / He must have been so clever / convincing me that this was really love.” Natalie sings as she mourns her loss of innocence with a wholesome vulnerability. She fights her way through the haze between childhood and womanhood and declares, “I’ll rise from the sorrow / Let the sun shine on my face.” We can all take comfort from her newfound perspective.

“Rest Easy” is a plucky little number with mechanical sounding intonations like you’d hear if R2D2 were converted into a steel drum. It is an example of the finest aspect of Caribbean influenced, 80’s Euro-pop over today’s popular dance music. The rhythm is steady as the electronic melodies build upon one another and joyously ring out. Natalie’s singing is warm and embracing as she beckons us to rest easy in the harmony of our heartbeats, and settle into the refuge of each other’s eyes.

Urban Angel is a mellow album. The rhythms throughout are sedated, and most of the color comes from the electronic melodies and from Natalie’s singing and lyrics, which are alternately sexy, introspective and sensory. The songs are constructed in such a way that it almost seems like all involved parties are working from a secret formula. This album is most certainly designed to sell and has every element of commercial appeal, and I imagine that once she hits the Late Night Variety Show circuit with “Crush,” Natalie Walker will be the next big thing.

Reviewed - August 21, 2007

Tracks:

01. Crush
02. Quicksand
03. Urban Angel
04. Rest Easy
05. No One Else
06. Faith
07. Walking Dream
08. Circles
09. Right Here
10. Red
11. Colorbline
12. Not The End
13. Sanckens Doll
14. Quicksand (Thievery Corporation Remix) *Bonus Track*

Credits:

Natalie Walker: Vocals
Dan Chen: Piano, Electric Piano, Keyboard, Synths, Programming, Guitar, Electric Guitar
Nat Greenber: Piano, Synths, Programming, Clarinet
Mike Lemmerling: Acoustic Guitar
Daniel Mintzer: Drums
Dave Holms: Guitar
John Stenger: Piano
Tony Fiore: Bass
Thievery Corporation: Remix

About the Author:

Keith Hannaleck, known as “MuzikMan” is a Journalist specializing in independent and major music reviews and the promotion of artists via the various media outlets flourishing online. He has worked closely with artists, management, publicity directors, and webmasters to provide some of the best and far-reaching coverage an artist could have. Focusing primarily on the internet as a medium for his work, Keith has been a pioneer in the industry changing the way a reviewer with his various talents are used by many artists, PR folks, and labels. He has provided strong and valuable work to labels, artists, and publicity people, writing reviews, press releases, and biographies and much more over the years, giving the people he works with the maximum amount of exposure through several top-notch websites that post his content on their sites.

Hannaleck built and maintained his own website in 1998 while networking and building his reputation through thousands of reviews and interviews, creating a special niche for himself. Through many years of dedication and hard work, he has reached a respected level of competence and knowledge that is frequently sought by the music industry today. Known for his speaking from the heart interpretations of music and being able to put it in layman’s terms for music fans, his work is found everywhere in cyberspace and in traditional print media, from press kits to quotes from reviews in magazine advertisements.