Charlotte Yates: Plainsong
By Rick Hobbs
Written while she was artist-in-residence at the Christchurch Arts Centre, and self-produced, 'Plainsong' is the fourth album from Charlotte Yates. Her well-honed songwriting skills are well-matched with a fine group of Wellington musicians and interesting instrumentation. Having not heard anything since her debut album 'Queen Charlotte Sounds' I was struck by the easy confidence and maturity of these 12 songs. The music is tight and polished, her voice is in fine form, and it has all a delightful intimacy and edginess generally lacking in mainstream music. Standout songs are the poppy Still Life, delicate Throwaway, ragga influenced The Things I Said and the beautifully plain Almost. 'Plainsong' shows that Charlotte has what it takes to crossover to the adult orientated radio stations, and deservedly gain wider recognition.
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