Album Review: Van Morrison – Keep Me Singing
2 min read
Pour yourself a glass of wine (or whiskey if you prefer something that packs a little more punch) and pull up the most comfortable seat in your abode, you should now be in more of a comfortable and relaxed state of mind. The perfect compliment to this scenario are the grooves and tunes of Van Morrison’s latest studio album Keep Me Singing.
Morrison needs no introduction, being one of the most successful and celebrated singer-song writers of the last century. Keep Me Singing is his 36th studio album release, self produced, it features his latest collection of self-penned songs- apart from the Blues standard Share Your Love With Me written by Alfred Baggs and Don Robey, and lyrics by Don Black in the song Every Time I See A River. Morrison proves that he’s still got the singing chops after a music career spanning over half a century.
You can tell Morrison is a seasoned song-writer in the music he has presented in this album; it is devoid of gimmicks and frills. Secure in his style of writing, he rather focuses his attention on creating a warm sound, singable melody lines and solidly structured songs. The only thing that doesn’t quite captivate me are the few harmonica interludes, it’s a little abrasive in the otherwise pleasant balance of sound.
He plays the music of his roots; the blues features prominently as in the groove Going Down To Bangor. Out In The Cold has a sprinkle of Burt Bacharach’s endearing style and a dash of Tony Bennett in the mix of sweeping string orchestration. The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword is also a bluesy song, with a rock shuffle feel. In Tiburon is the kind of song that would perfectly accompany a rainy day (when you’re in doors looking out, that is).
Van Morrison’s latest release is adult contemporary/easy listening gold. Keep Me Singing keeps me listening.
