Velvet Grooves

So! Cinematic Orchestra! Now - from what I'm used to hearing on Ninja Tunes i.e. experimental hip-hop, jazz, electronic trickery and turntable mastery - this album was certainly a suprise!

"Ma Fleur" - 'The Soundtrack to an unreleased film!' (as the press relase suggests) - it's really very much different from the usual great stuff I hear from this label. It's certainly great, but theres a more serious emotion involved here... more passionate and mellow...

Ma Fleur is kinda the soundtrack to a sad dream. Initially made up of a Piano ballad, it turns into something more electronic building on the style of some of Ninja Tunes more mellow artists... Starter track 'To Build A Home' introduces us with a voice so damn similar to Anthony & The Johnsons, that I thought he was a collaborator on this. Soulful, complex, beauiful piano pieces mixed with Patrick Watsons' amazingly emotional voice - and top that with an atmospheric background - this is a killer start which should hook absolutely anyone with a demand for music with soul. We can feel effectively what Patrick's feeling as he sings - his voice is amazing...

Later on in the album we have Lou Rhodes (ex-Lamb) collaborating on 'Musical Box' which builds slightly towards her solo stuff we've been hearing recently. Whilst 'Child Song' turns more electronic - closer to Lamb. In 'Prelude' we have plenty of strings involved to create a harmonising symphony which is practically a highlight on the album making a massive impact. Things take a change though on 'As The Stars Fall' as we enter the Lamb style again except more active and exciting. This brings us closer to what we'd normally expect on Ninja Tune - great funky instrumentals with tidbits of hip-hop, but also bringing in the effects to give it an edge. This is great!

Finishing off we have 'Time And Space' which seems to fit perfectly as a closer. I feel the whole 'compose a soundtrack to an unmade film' idea has worked well on this record. It conveys the truth and honestly well throughout, without the need to see it - it's a different medium to play with and they seem to have successfully mastered it.

A new, more challenging and mature direction for Ninja Tune? Quite possibly! For now, I'll put this down as one of the great albums of this year...