Album Review: Rumer – Into Colour
3 min read
With her 2010 debut album, Seasons of my Soul, British songbird Rumer proved that she was a musical force to be reckoned with. Audiences were surprised how closely her voice resembled 70’s singing icon Karen Carpenter and she proved a popular hit maker with both the older crowds as well as millennial music aficionados.
Seasons of my Soul was soon followed up by her sophomore covers collection, Boys Don’t Cry in 2012. The record cast light onto some of Rumer’s favourite songs from the 1970’s including the lead single, P.F Sloan which helped the record shift a considerable number of units for the musician.
The singer has been laying relatively low since the release of Boys Don’t Cry; deciding to reside in Arkansas, the home state of her new fiancé and former musical director for Burt Bacharach, Rob Shirakbari, but she has been kept busy with work on her brand new album Into Colour which was recently unveiled to fans who have been waiting patiently for the return of one of the brightest talents to emerge in the last decade.
Into Colour sees Rumer returning to original pennings and is her first original collection since her 2010 Seasons of my Soul debut. The emotion and bittersweetness of her debut are back on show throughout this new record but while the new collection follows in similar footsteps to her Seasons of my Soul debut, there are some notable differences in the singer’s style to be found here.
While the opening piano bar style torch intro gives us a swift reminder of Rumer’s beautiful and light vocal style, the following Dangerous, the records lead and current single, gives us something a little different and unexpected from the singer who usually keeps her music rather sedate. The lyrics speak of not wanting to be hurt and avoiding a partnership that might be a little too soon after being burned in the past while the melody is upbeat and fun with a nostalgic licking of disco grooves and an orchestral backdrop. She really could not have chosen a better song from the album to introduce this new collection.
Rumer utilizes her horn section to pull Reach Out together while You Just Don’t Know Some People sets out to instil a little faith in the human race as the singer recites in the tracks chorus “some people are good, some people are kind”.
Rumers vocals are as pristine as ever and really shine on Into Colour over the course of the records 11 new songs and it’s the down-tempo laments like the soft Play Your Guitar and the piano led tip-toeing and serenading of Butterfly that allows the singers rich and touching vocals to radiate and shine on the record. After all, her fame comes from Karen Carpenter-esque balladry and just like her debut, its songs like these that show the musicians real strengths as a vocalist.
Rumer has faced a lot of life challenges over the past couple of years including a miscarriage and being diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and the heartache of these experiences comes through on the new songs on Into Colour but she is optimistic and with her recent engagement, the singer also channels the joys in life on tracks like I Am Blessed, showing that life doesn’t stop when life hits a hurdle.
Into Colour is a stunning new collection from Rumer and every bit the return we were hoping to receive from the exquisite vocals and tender musical touch of the easy listening princess.
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.
