New Blood (Special Edition)

iTunes Review

New Blood is the final piece of a conceptual trilogy that started with 2010’s Scratch My Back. On that orchestral project, Gabriel interpreted other songwriters’ works, implementing a “no drumkits, no guitars” aesthetic. Six artists he covered returned the favor; in a series of singles, each recorded a song from the Gabriel songbook. For 2011’s New Blood, Gabriel revisited his own history with the Scratch My Back approach. Stretching back to 1977 (“Solsbury Hill”) up through 2002 (“Darkness”), this album let Gabriel address his career through an early sixtysomething’s perspective and voice (singing and artistic). Subtle brass, woodwinds, strings, and a choir replace the pounding drums and tense guitars of “Intruder.” The piano at the heart of “Intruder” remains, but it’s set to a lush sea of strings instead of synthesizers, bass guitar, and tom-toms. Two Gabriel hits receive very different treatment, with “In Your Eyes” reimagined as a powerful overture and “Don't Give Up” (with Norwegian vocalist Ane Brun in the Kate Bush role) reborn as a chamber-pop triumph.