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(Valentine) - "Love Like Gold"

Reviewed by:

"Philip Wooldridge"- (Ravenheart Music)

Genre:
(Female Fronted) {Rock/Symphonic-Metal}-(Music)
Country:
German
Length:
44:00
Release Date:
10/28/10
Band Members: Valentine Romanski - Vocals
(Other Members Unknown)
     
     
     
Track Listing: 1.)-Love Like Gold 3:39
9.)-No 3:38
  2.)-Black Sheep – Album Version 2:53
10.)- My Town 4:18
  3.)-White Bird 4:09 11.)- Nobody Knows 4:19
  4.)- Creatures Of The Night 3:39
12.)-Universe 4:10
  5.)-Superhero 2:53  
  6.)- Tonight 3:39  
  7.)-Beauty And The Beast 3:53  
  8.)-Catch Me 3:16  

Review:

Valentine, full name Valentine Romanski, is an absolutely ravishing young singer songwriter and pianist from German who has the endorsement of none other that Sir Paul McCartney (you know, the cheeky one in that Liverpudlian beat combo that had a few hits), who said, and I quote, “This girl is amazing”, I tend to agree my old Macca. A look at Amazon Germany reveals that she has released two previous albums, her last back in 2006, but this is the first on the mighty Sony label, so their existence is not recognised on her website . Love Like Gold also sees a complete and utter change of style away from the piano ballads that dominate these earlier works.***

Her new music is lush orchestral keyboard pop, similar in style to Madonna’s ‘Ray of Light’ earth mother William Orbit period, Goldfrapp’s more orchestral and organic album ‘The Seventh Tree’, Katie Melua’s latest release ‘The House’, which also features William Orbit, and Within Temptation’s gentler moments, she undoubtedly shares Sharon Den Adel’s fashion sense. We are certainly NOT in brainless synthetic Britney/Cheryl/Dannii, lip sync, all style and no substance territory, thank goodness, otherwise John would throw me off the highest floor of Progressiveland Towers.***

Groovy tangoing opening title track ‘Love Like Gold’ features a Vocoder, a long extinct, hideously complex, vocal processing contraption that was almost impossible to use, it was made famous on Kraftswerk’s ‘Autobahn’ and ELO’s ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ (I remember myself and Robert Plant’s keys player Jezz Woodroffe trying to work out how to use one, what a nightmare). The next three songs, ‘Black Sheep’, ‘White Bird’ and ‘Creatures of the Night’ (there’s an animal theme going on here) remind me of Coldplay’s ‘Viva La Vida’, a song that Joe Satriani successfully sued for plagiarism (Coldplay settled out of court for nicking his tune ‘If I Could Fly’). These are awesome anthemic songs stuffed full of rich multi layered vocals, catchy melodies that stick to your memory banks like superglue, and sumptuous synths. The next couple, ‘Superhero’ and ‘Tonight’, are more danceable Madonna (or Madge as I call her) electro pop tunes, time to shake a leg and dance around your handbag or manbag. ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is a dramatic and moody Ultravox meets Within Temptation song with gorgeous strings, followed by a pair of sweet bouncy pop tunes, ‘Catch Me’ and ‘No’ (she’s such a tease), I’m off for a whirl around the room. The final three are real crackers, the dreamy orchestral ‘My Town’, the fabulous ‘Nobody Knows’ which sounds like Within Temptation gone pop, and finally the lighter waving, or to be more health and safety conscious, mobile phone waving anthem ‘Universe’. I mentioned in the Ansoticca review about the forests of Europe being packed with gothic babes, well guess where Valentine is in her video for ‘Black Sheep’? (Available for your perusal on the Female Voices Blog). I must get my binoculars out and do a spot of bird watching.***

With Sony behind her and a totally new ultra commercial sound this young lady is about to go Global with a capital G, and you read it here first folks. I’m the guy who reviews a lot of the power and prog metal stuff, but I found this absolutely adorable, music to bring a smile to your face, a spring into your step, and a little ray of sunshine into these dark days, a love like gold 9.5 out of 10.***

 

 

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