Album Review
Sophie Hunger – The Danger Of Light
Sophie Hunger is a new name to me, and probably to many UK music fans, although she has played at Glastonbury. The Swiss native mixes folk and pop influences with a liberal sprinkling of jazz to produce some stylish music. This is her third album, and its variety and quality make it a rather good one. I wouldn’t exactly describe it as the type of music I would normally listen to, but The Danger Of Light is refreshingly different and Ms Hunger does have a great voice, expressive and beguiling, yet also powerful when it needs to be.
The arrangements of the eleven songs are at times complex, maybe even overcomplicated. The rhythms change often and an array of brass and strings are used in addition to guitars and the piano that dominates. In places this takes away from the key component of the music – Sophie Hunger’s voice. The closing Take A Turn is the simplest track of all, with just finger picked guitar and a harmonica giving it a more folky feel. It’s soft and has a fragile purity that demonstrates just what a fine singer she is.
Rerevolution opens the album with a cry for action towards a better world. There’s a pain and frustration to the vocals that works well, an emotional tone that allows Hunger to get her message across. The slower Souldier sees her vocals rise and fall in fine style, although the simple piano melody becomes a little repetitive.
The single Like Like Like gives the feel of a bluesy cabaret club, late night and smoky. The vocals here are sassy and confident, a stage siren in complete control. The instrumentation is very jazzy, too much so for my tastes, and I think less would have been more here, giving greater emphasis to the vocals.
There are a number of tacks sung in German, which clearly makes interpretation difficult unless you have some of the language. Das Neue and Z’Lied vor Freiheitsstatue are both slower tracks and sound good, although that’s about all I can say.
The Fallen is largely piano driven and again the sheer beauty of the vocals shines through as Hunger extends her voice and shows the power she possesses. And the final Take A Turn ends the album in real style with its folk feel and lovely vocals.
This isn’t an album for everyone, although its jazz influences will make it appeal to many. So if you fancy chilling out with something different and listening to a singer with a very fine voice indeed then give The Danger Of Light a try. I’m sure you will be impressed by Sophie Hunger.
Venue: The Danger Of Light
Support Band: Two Gentlemen