Mari Wilson - Cover Stories
Artist: Mari Wilson
Album: Cover Stories
Label: Beehive Records
OUT NOW
Rating: 3/5
Mari Wilson has enjoyed a career that has spanned three decades and this week she is back with her new album Cover Stories.
While Wilson has regularly performed other people’s tracks during live shows she has never recorded a full album of covers until now.
But this is not a run of the mill album of songs just lazily covered as Mari Wilson, along with orchestrator and pianist Simon Hale, have put their own spin on these tracks and turned them into something new and fresh.
This is a really stripped back album that doesn’t rely much on production at all - there is very personal feel to it.
There are no backing vocals, no strings just an acoustic guitar with Wilson’s vocals taking centre stage, this allows audiences to really listen and focus on the lyrics rather then getting swept away with a track that is over produced.
Don’t Get Me Wrong is a perfect opening track, as well as being one of the best songs on the album, as Wilson and Hale have slowed the track right down - it really does work so well.
They Don’t Know is another stand out track it’s incredibly melodic and Wilson’s vocals are so delicate and gentle.
However Be My Baby is a track that, for me, really doesn’t work, the well known upbeat track doesn’t suit being slowed so drastically.
In all Cover Stories is a very solid album from Mari Wilson, and it’s great to her tackle these well known songs and really put a new and fresh spin on them. Her vocals are as strong as ever and she really does bring these songs to life.
Mari Wilson - Cover Stories is out now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw