Bertie Blackman, what a remarkable singer. The Sydney based singer songwriter has gone to a whole new level with her third album `Secrets and Lies`.
This album is world class.
Bertie cites her influences as Bjork, Erykah Badu, Suzanne Vega, Joni Mitchell's and Radiohead. On ‘Secrets and Lies’ you may her the occasional reminder of some of those acts, but Bertie has established her own sound with this record.
Track one ‘Sky Is Falling’ is dark, dreamy and atmospheric but track two, appropriately titled ‘Thump’ is a sudden jar, featured by her dynamic vocals.
What is so impressive with this album is the constantly evolving sounds. By track three, we are into electronica with ‘Black Cats’, a song ripe for a remix if ever Bertie wanted a chart hit.
‘Heart’ at track four is a left turn again. This is where you start to hear those Radiohead influences start to creep in.
You get a sense of the theatric on ‘White Owl’, and ‘Come To Bed’ while ‘Clocks’ returns to that atmospheric, Floydish sounds of the opening track.
There is another hit to happen in ‘Byrds of Prey’, a song that could be pop with a subtle push to the right.
By the time you get nine tracks deep in at ‘Shout Out’ who will be sold completely on this album because there are no hidden surprises. It is an album you can listen to from start to finish and then want to play again.
‘Lost and Found’ conjures up the ghost of Kate Bush past while ‘Town of Sorrow’ slow us back down to world music level and a pace slightly faster than Enya.
The light and shade of this album is the hook. Bertie can bring you down in one song and lift you with the next. ‘Baby Teeth’ harks back to 80s synth but ‘Valentine’ ends the album where it started, in the quietest moment.
‘Secrets and Lies’ was produced by Lee Groves (Goldfrapp, Gwen Stefani) and Francois Tetaz (Goyte, Architecture In Helsinki).
This is one of the most innovative Australian releases so far for 2009.
Secrets and Lies tracklisting:
1.àSky Is Falling
2.àThump
3. Black Cats
4.àHeart
5.àWhite Owl
6.àByrds Of Prey
7.àCome To Bed
8.àClocks
9.àShout Out
10.àLust And Found
11.àTown Of Sorrow
12.àBaby Teeth
13.àValentine
