My personally signed LP arrived and she hasn’t written what I requested, she’s just scribbled my name in barely legible writing.
My personally signed LP arrived and she hasn’t written what I requested, she’s just scribbled my name in barely legible writing.
My personally signed LP arrived and she hasn’t written what I requested, she’s just scribbled my name in barely legible writing.
After the breakout success of masterpiece single “Murder on the Dancefloor,” Sophie Ellis-Bextor released three more albums stretching into the early 2010s filled with fizzy dance-pop, but her past two records suggest a subtle shift.
2014’s Wanderlust and 2016’s Familia were darker chamber pop records that swapped out those nights on the dancefloor, but after a long hiatus, HANA combines what she’s done previously and even offers new twists on her style.
Inspired by a trip Ellis-Bextor took to Japan in early 2020, HANA translates to either ‘flower’ or ‘blossom’, and the album can be seen as somewhat of a new start. Songs take direct inspiration from the country, like the instrumentation on the opening track, or the ode to Tokyo later on (“Since I’ve been here, I’ve had such dreams”), but others inhabit a different mood. HANA is often lighter than her two last albums, taking the time to dream of margaritas, the sun warming one’s face, and fantasising about a languid man whose daydreaming makes him blissfully unavailable. “Oh, I’ll never see the world he knows,” she says dreamily.
Underneath the sunshine, though, there are some darker tones and ideas that are mostly unfamiliar with Ellis-Bextor’s sweet, easygoing demeanour – on “Breaking the Circle,” the lead single, she asks, “Do you want to hear a secret? / I think there might be a day where the sun doesn’t rise.” Sounding vaguely like she’s envisioning the start to a dystopian apocalypse novel, she tells a lover, “I can see a new horizon in your eyes.” In other places, she’s more down-to-earth in discussing problems – “Broken Toy” is about the dissolution of a relationship where she felt used, and the heartbreaking “Reflections” is a moment of self-examination where she stares into a mirror. “I’m just looking older, not stronger,” she admits.
Ellis-Bextor’s writing often leans towards the dramatic and quizzical – song titles in the past declare that “Love Is a Camera,” the “Earth Shook the Devil’s Hand,” and that “The Universe Is You” – which is in full abundance here. On another universe-themed track, “Beyond the Universe,” she describes love’s effect over a spacey beat: “Galaxies pass us by, all we can do is fly,” she sings. “Breaking the Circle” occupies the same space lyrically, though it’s a little less concrete: she and her lover “Crash through all of the edges of destiny” and break the aforementioned circle, though what that means is still unclear.
Her liminal writing works the best on “Hearing in Colour” and “We’ve Been Watching You,” two of the most sonically experimental songs on the record (and in Ellis-Bextor’s discography). The former is a frenzied, hallucinogenic trip lyrically (“I’m tasting tomorrow / A feverish dream”), whereas the latter starts normally and devolves into trippy electronic production. “Forget the things you’ve heard about us, we’re just a conscience of another kind,” she asks, seemingly shifting into a hive-mind persona of unknowable moral origin, before asking towards the end, “Have you quite lost your mind?” It's completely out of left field, and this kind of diversity in songwriting and sound leaves ample room for more experimentation in the future.
If you’re looking for a quick disco dopamine hit, HANA is not the album for you. Rather, it’s an update on Ellis-Bextor’s previous works, ideas, and themes – the seven-year hiatus proved to be more than enough time in order to come back to music refreshed and reinvigorated. HANA is a quirky and observant addition to the Ellis-Bextor discography, mixing dark and light themes to create one of her most intriguing works to date.
After the longest break between albums of her career, Sophie Ellis-Bextor returns with her much-anticipated seventh record, ‘HANA’.
The follow-up to 2016’s ‘Familia’ reunites the singer-songwriter with collaborator Ed Harcourt, with whom she first worked on her fifth album, ‘Wanderlust’ (2014), and enlisted to help craft this, their third project together.
A record three years in the making, ‘HANA’ was conceived ahead of a family trip to Japan in February 2020, but was put on hold amid the pandemic, during which time Sophie became and Instagram sensation with her ‘Kitchen Disco’ series, which led to a greatest hits album, UK and European tour and a run of arena dates with Steps.
Having revisited the past, she looks to the future on her latest original offering – the title of which translates as ‘flower’ or ‘blossom’ – for an album that encompasses themes of reflections and new beginnings across 12 original songs that drive Sophie’s sound forward.
Setting itself aside from previous projects, opening track A Thousand Orchids is different to anything she’s done before, juxtaposing pulsing synths with acoustic piano as Sophie sings: ‘You’ll find not witches waiting here / No ghosts hidden within the dark / Look for the beacons that show the way’.
The mid-tempo number builds to a stirring crescendo with lyrics that talk of letting go of the past and living in the moment – a subject present across the album, notably in the singles Breaking The Circle and Lost In The Sunshine.
As an album, ‘HANA’ is unique to the rest of Sophie’s catalogue and while there are definite pop moments, she resists chasing hits and lets the music lead the way for a sound that’s both charming and enchanting.
That’s not to say there aren’t echoes of Sophie gone by: Until The Wheels Fall Off is a rollicking anthem for holding on to love ‘through all the crazy times, through all the lows and highs’, layered vocal harmonies mirror soaring synths on the bouncy Beyond The Universe, and the bombastic Reflections is future concert highlight.
Meanwhile, laid-back early cut Tokyo offers a moment of respite that forms a centrepiece for the album, bringing together its themes and placing Sophie’s pure vocals front and centre.
Dive into ‘HANA’ expecting dance classics in the vein of Get Over You, Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer) and Bittersweet at your peril; 25 years after she released her first album with theaudience, Sophie lets go of the past and and steps into a bright future – exactly what we’d expect from one of British pop’s very best!
SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR’S seventh studio album, Hana, brings dreamy vocals and high energy from its opening notes. The record starts with A Thousand Orchids, a synth driven sensual tune with a clear 80s influence.
The stand out track, Breaking The Circle, has a surprising indie feel to it – it begins with heavy drums and builds to a euphoric song with captivating, drawn out vocals.
Until The Wheels Fall Off carries a similar enchanting aura, but with a much slower beat. But, it begins to feel a little repetitive and dragging with songs like He’s a Dreamer and Lost in the Sunshine. Reflections, however, is a dance tune and has heavy beats, bringing the interest back.
The closing track, We’ve Been Watching You refers back to the opening song with an eighties inspired feel and finally celebrates the fun disco pop of Ellis-Bextor that we all know and love.
Overall, the album may have benefited from Ellis-Bextor leaning into her signature pop style and adding more high-tempo tunes.
So lazy. This is awful.My personally signed LP arrived and she hasn’t written what I requested, she’s just scribbled my name in barely legible writing.
Yes, there was that disclaimer but if someone wanted something like lyrics from her song or some Sophie related quote then she should have gone with it.Sophie took the "Artists are not robots. They won't be writing anything they don't want to" and ran with it.
Very lazy.
Yeah, every 'personalised' vinyl I've ordered from Banquet has had what I've wanted on it.Yes, there was that disclaimer but if someone wanted something like lyrics from her song or some Sophie related quote then she should have gone with it.
I ordered The Love Invention LP from Banquet - I put "We are the fever now". Alison wrote "We are the fever now! Alison". She even put that freaking exclamation mark there. Bless her forever.
Every time I order something signed by Sophie I wish I hadn't bothered.So lazy. This is awful.
Another gorgeous album from Sophie. Herewith my review.
A Thousand Orchids
I fell in love with this track almost immediately. Sophie's vocals are tender, the production lush, the melody heavenly. A definite stand-out for me. I never knew this version of Sophie existed. Simply beautiful.
Breaking The Circle
I've come around a bit more to this one (after repeated listens), but it remains not one of my favorites. Not a bad song in the slightest, it certainly has its moments.
Until The Wheels Fall Off
This one has a very indie sound and harkens back to Theaudience days and feels like it could've been on a soundtrack of a movie.
Everything Is Sweet
Ah, my lovely favorite. The synths are here along with an addictive chorus and melody that takes you on a wave of wistful electronica.
Lost In The Sunshine
With an intro that will sweep you away back in time with a summery tune and a delightful cheery chorus. In the video, Sophie is seen taking in the sun while seemingly channeling a tribute to Sophia Loren.
Tokyo
Heartfelt and magical accompanied by acoustic guitar, Sophie takes us on a dreamy escapade with an airy vocal delivery.
Beyond The Universe
The production peaks here and sounds like a track Sandra Cretu could've made in the 80's. Sophie's vocals are lush.
He's A Dreamer
An ok track, nothing remarkable here. Feels more like filler.
Reflections
Some disco vibes present, definitely something to shimmy to.
Hearing In Colour
Sparkling instrumentation accompanied by heavy electro riffs and thumping bass. I was longing to hear this one in full since the tease we got from the Instagram snippets. I prefer the way the chorus sounds in the last part of the song. Another banger for sure.
Broken Toy
a Cute experimental track, production is fun and playful. Sounds like a follow up to 13 Little Dolls.
We've Been Watching You
The track about Aliens. Zany fun production, Sophie's vocals are haunting and almost eerie. The build becomes quite intense and bonkers towards the end with it sounding like an UFO flying away.
The album has a very diverse set of tracks, yet still sonically cohesive enough. Sophie experimented with a couple of tracks and they are the ones that stood out for me.
This is exactly the point I made in my review. That final chorus is infinitely better than the rest.Something went very wrong with whatever key she opted to sing the chorus of Hearing in Colour in. The final half of the song is so warm and joyous, but the first half with that rogue off-key chorus is a trial ddd.