Urban Angel

Album Review

An album title like Urban Angel might lead you to expect a smooth and silky R&B diva, but what you get on the solo debut by Daughter Darling alumna Natalie Walker is actually something more along the lines of a less downtown Syd Straw, or maybe a less British Portishead. The production team of Stur creates arrangements for Walker that manage to give equal weight to her sweet, clear voice and their backing tracks, tracks that are funky and elegant at the same time. The mood is generally kind of glum, but not always completely pessimistic: the title track is sad and lovely, while "Rest Easy" picks up the tempo a little bit while keeping the mood quite subdued. "No One Elsa" combines faintly glitchy beats with a gossamer arrangement of harp, piano, strings and breathy backing vocals to very nice effect, and "Quicksand" incorporates what almost sound like Fripp-ertronic-style guitars. Near the end, on the beautiful "Not the End," Walker's sadness comes with a certain degree of optimism as she gently encourages a downcast friend. Overall, this is a very impressive debut from a major talent. Highly recommended.