Michelle Lewis - The Parts of Us That Still Remain

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 18 / 1 / 2015

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Review

With the closing months of each year, new versions of ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ appear. You’d think there was little any ‘new’ artist or band could add to this seasonal favourite anymore. But Lily and Madeleine’s heavenly harmonies on the version they posted on-line towards the end of 2013 dispelled any thoughts that we’d yet heard the definitive version. As 2014 drew to a close, Boston-born Michelle Lewis issued her version of ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ as her holiday single and added yet another dimension to the song, helped along by a touching video. Although that song isn’t featured on Lewis’s second full-length, recently released, album ‘The Parts of Us That Still Remain’, it highlights one of the elements that make the album so addictive; even when Lewis is in melancholy mode she brings light and inspiration into her delivery and arrangement of each song. The album works so well because of a number of factors. The production that Lewis shares with Anthony J. Resta (Elton John, Perry Farrell, Guster and a vintage audio gear enthusiast) brings out the best in Lewis’s songs. Although Resta is credited with supplying (among other instruments) optigan, moog, omnichord, random falling bells, broken light bulb shaker and sci-fi mambo atmospherics, the production is subtle yet very effective. There are surprising sounds weaving in and out of the songs that not only add interest and texture, but also feel like they actually belong there and they form a major part of the song no matter how short their stay is. Then there’s Lewis’s ability not just to write captivating lyrics but to fit whole stories into her songs, Lewis can bring so much meaning into what initially seems the most simplest of lines. Finally there’s the voice. Yes, it’s one of those voices that we feel we’ve heard before, but it’s still the owner of a certain uniqueness that’s 100% Michelle Lewis. There’s shades of Texan Nanci Griffith in there, touches of Australia’s Jenny Queen and more than a sprinkling of the Scandinavian coolness that the likes Marie Lindberg once tasted success with for sure, but really Lewis is a singer that has carved her own sound, not just vocally but with the arrangements she and Resta have created here. Opening with ‘Sorry I Forgot to Write’, Lewis’s folky pop tendencies coupled with those pure, angelic vocals don’t need to drag the listener in; it’s instantly obvious that Lewis has the talent to pair her thoughtful and thought-provoking lyrics to beautiful, captivating melodies which at times betray the sadness in her lyrics. It’s the whole combination of those elements touched on above that make each and every song on ‘The Parts of Us That Still Remain’ so special; the fullness of the production, warm and inviting while not heavy-handed; each instrument (and non-instrument) being clear and in the right place at the right time; the way the melodies flow that will leave the songs floating around your head for the rest of the day and Lewis’s expressive, airy vocals bringing every story told in the songs to life. If any artist can transport the listener into the world they are singing about in their songs, Lewis must be near the top of the list. ‘Run Run Run’ is but one song where the soundscape created by Lewis and Resta perfectly captures the subject matter; loneliness and the time wasted making plans that never materialise. “I’ve been lonely for a long time/Always searching for someone/Still not sure what I am looking for/So I will run, run, run,” sings Lewis on it. It doesn’t matter how long ago you felt that. When Lewis sings those lines in her pure, crystal clear voice, the longing comes flooding back. And later in the same song when Lewis sings, “I have loved you since I met you/Always knew you were the one/If you need me I’ll come get you/Yes, I will run, run, run”, you can almost hear hearts break. Like all great soul singers Lewis feels every word she sings. There’s honesty dripping off every line not just in this song but also throughout the whole album. Lewis doesn’t need the vocal aerobatics and forced emotion that so many think pass for great singing these days. She injects passion, honesty and feeling into each word, and with the sympathetic production Lewis and Resta have wrapped the songs in Lewis really has made a must-have album. ‘Just Like a Movie’ has, not surprisingly, a brilliant cinematic quality about it, turning what could be a misplaced waltz into one of the highlights of the album. ‘None of That Now’ shows Lewis’s country leanings, the use of accordion and upright bass once again proving that Lewis and Resta knew exactly what they were aiming for when recording these songs. The end results are so natural and honest you just can’t help but be impressed. ‘The Parts of Us That Still Remain’ will appeal to anyone who has loved, lost and loved again. There’s hardly a line here that Lewis has written which most people can’t identify with. The fact that you will probably find yourself trying to sing along with these songs of the heart even when the tears are rolling down your face just shows what a talented lyricist Lewis is. There’s plenty to discover here and a voice to fall in love to and with. I consider myself one of the lucky ones; ‘The Parts of Us That Still Remain’ was my introduction to Michelle Lewis so I now have the pleasure of tracking down her debut from 2004, ‘This Time Around’ and the EPs Lewis released in 2009 and 2011. If they are half as good as Lewis’s current album they will still tower over much of what her contemporaries are recording right now. ‘The Parts of Us That Still Remain’ was released in the UK on 1st December 2014. Although its beauty is revealed on the very first play I know at least one of those ‘best of the year’ lists it would have made if it had reached a certain set of ears a little earlier, before the lists had to be compiled. And I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Track Listing:-

1 Sorry I Forgot to Write
2 Running Back Home
3 None of That Now
4 Just Like a Movie
5 Run Run Run
6 Paris
7 Something That Simple
8 Goodbye
9 Broken
10 Lost in LA

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/MichelleLewis
http://michellelewismusic.com
https://twitter.com/michellelewis
https://instagram.com/michellelewismus