Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Hana

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I’ve given Hana a couple of listens now and it’s definitely a lot better than anticipated. I still think all the criticism is valid but it’s a good album in spite of that it just should’ve been released 4-5 years ago.

I wasn’t really impressed with the quality of the physical CD/Vinyl/Cassette. It’s all so much cheaper than the Wanderlust and Familia releases, made even more noticeable as they’re supposed to be a trilogy.

Standouts: Everything Is Sweet, Beyond The Universe, Reflections

Good: A Thousand Orchids, Breaking The Circle, Lost in the Sunshine, Hearing in Colour, Broken Toy

Meh: We've Been Watching You

Deletable: Until the Wheels Fall Off, Tokyo, He’s a Dreamer

I’d probably rank them Wanderlust > Hana > Familia, but long term I think I’ll end up listening to Hana the most.
 
Crazy.. I love Sophie and everything bit didn't expect the album to chart that high.. Do we think it has anything to do with the couple of festivals she's done recently also her slot on Sunday might have given it a boost?
 
I have been feeling pretty melancholic lately and this album encapsulates very well the mix of emotions I've been going through.

In consequence I've been playing it non-stop since launch day. Get those depressed streams!
 
I enjoyed her listening party on YouTube.

She said she was toying with 'Reflections' or 'Beyond the Universe' as the next single. On the latter, she had tried to get Morten Harket from A-ha to guest feature on it with her but he declined.

I'm glad she explained the reasoning for using those minor chords in 'Hearing in Colour' (hopefully that will stop some people moaning, ha). I knew there was purpose for it!

Also, seems she's well aware of the Ed Hardcourt... dislike? Dislike might be too strong but she joked about it a few times. She's fully alert that people don't really want another Ed album after this one!

Anyway, definitely worth a watch. I see Kaushik posted the link above.
 
I'm in minority here the only one who will say this - her work with Ed isn't bad. I get that people want more dance-pop / commercial pop from her, but Wanderlust, Familia and Hana are fantastic albums! In hindsight, if she had found a way to balance her musical adventures and what her fans want from her (i.e. releasing double albums), nobody would have complained.

Could the trilogy have sounded grander/fuller/beefier if she worked with Paul Epworth and William Orbit - absolutely! But she was doing this on her own, with small budgets. Regardless, the final products were amazing. Ed pushed Sophie beyond boundaries. She wasn't "strip mining the 80s" or "sucking the dance-pop genre dry" anymore. There were some really depressing reviews around Make A Scene. Ed reignited Sophie's creativity. Her vocal sounds confident now, her lyrics are much bolder (and quirkier in places), her melodies are stronger. It hasn't been a bad thing - her working with Ed.
 
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