Monday, November 08, 2010

Rumer




John Prescott is not the first person you would think of when searching for a recommendation on a new(ish) artist but it was old two-jags, several chins and a myriad of pies who happened to mention Rumer in an interview and the world listened. Normally in, an ever increasing frenzy to appear hip and 'with-it', politicians name-check artists whose very existence you feel they weren't aware of until handed a list of the current Top 30 by their political aides.

Rumer is a 31 year old (slips into journo mode) female British-Pakistani, which already makes you suspect she was on a list at Labour central office of suitable candidates for Prezza to name check, moi sceptical? Surely non. Anyway she is pretty good, Slow, a track from her new album sounds so much like Karen Carpenter and that is the highest praise I can give any female artist to be honest.

Her voice has that gentle soul, smokey sound that should have you stroking your chin and saying, "nice," except that would be to trivialise it, she sounds wonderful on her debut album. If it's true that what goes around comes around then Rumer is a throwback to the early 1970's, she's part Karen Carpenter, part Carole King, part Dionne Warwick - the latter part something that has attracted Burt Bacharach as a fan - and part Alison Moyet.

The video is for her last single 'Aretha' rather than the new one. What does it for me is that she's not trying to sound black she's singing the blues as they have always been sung when sung at their best and that's from the heart.

2 comments:

Span Ows said...

Really nice! Great voice and your comaprison is spot-on.

Is it Rumer as in Rumour or as in rummer? I'll never forget laughing out loud to Tony Blackburn in the early 80's on the top 40 ...or maybe it was still top 30...announcing Durren Durren

:-)

Paul said...

Not sure on the pronounciation as Prezza was quoted in a newspaper which didn't say how!

I remember TB saying that and he also corrected himself after somebody phoned in.