Album Of The Week - 24th August: Imogen Heap - Ellipse

There are a few high profile releases out this week, the rest of which I will mention in a seperate post but for my album of the week I have chosen Imogen Heap's third album. I am a big fan of Imogen Heaps very distinctive voice and have all her albums so was looking forward to hearing 'Ellipse'.

You could never accuse Heap of being prolific with her album releases. Her debut 'i-Megaphone' was released in 1998 and the follow-up 'Speak For Yourself' did not come out until seven years later in 2005 (although she did release an album with Guy Sigsworth under the name Frou Frou in 2002). That makes the four year wait for 'Ellipse' seem like nothing!

'Speak For Yourself' was the real breakthrough album for Imogen Heap. This was largely due to the fantastic single "Hide & Seek" which featured in TV show 'The O.C.'s' season finale for season two. There were so many other good songs on the album as well, my favourites being "Goodnight & Go" and "Headlock".

The new album obviously has the same beautiful, atmospheric and instantly recognisable vocals. There is obvious progression in the musical styles found though with a wider range of influences evident in various tracks on the album. Heap did a lot of travelling in recording this album with recording locations including Hawaii, Fiji, Thailand and Essex! This doesn't create a world music album but definately has some influence on the sound for example the slight Eastern sound on "2-1". Heap has a real gift for conveying emotions and creating atmospheres in her music. 'Ellipse' seems to have taken this on further with a wider, more eclectic range of attitudes and emotions being explored throughout the album. From the almost talking rant on "Bad Body Double" to the aftermath of a breakup in "Wait It Out"to the playful almost mischievous "Aha!".

Imogen Heap has always had a distinctive sound and this is definately an Imogen Heap album! There is no one track that stands out in the same way as "Hide & Seek" but at the same time every track has it's own character that makes it incredibly listenable. I certainly have not been disappointed by this album and I would recommend it to anyone. Also if you haven't heard 'Speak For Yourself' yet then you need it in your life! http://open.spotify.com/album/1H8velOQ9zUFqpuQPd2bkO