Closer to the People
| Closer to the People | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 11 March 2016 | |||
| Studio | Soho Sound Kitchen, Tiki Toko Studios | |||
| Genre | Indie pop, folk, rock | |||
| Length | 35:22 | |||
| Label | Ear Music 0210912EMU | |||
| Producer | Angie Pollock, Goetz Botzenhardt | |||
| Tanita Tikaram chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Closer to the People | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| laut.de | [2] |
| The Music | [3] |
| Renowned for Sound | [4] |
Closer to the People is the ninth studio album by the British singer Tanita Tikaram.[5] The record was released on 11 March 2016 through Ear Music, an imprint of German-based label Edel Music.[6] The album also produced two singles: "Glass Love Train" and "The Way You Move".
Background[edit]
Closer to the People is Tikaram's first album in four years. Like her previous album Can't Go Back, it was released through Ear Music. Tikaram released a videoclip for the song "Food on My Table" in December 2015, although she stated this record was not the first single of the album.[7] Tikaram said that the record is inspired by the blues compositions she likes to play with her band.[8] Tikaram also explained to HuffPost UK that her latest music began taking form after she read a biography of American jazz singer Anita O'Day, who overcame her problems to perform jazz music for some 60 years.[9]
Reception[edit]
Michael Smith of Renowned for Sound wrote "As such, Closer To The People isn’t an album for everybody. Jazz fans, or fans of Tanita Tikaram’s particular style of lyricism and husky vocals, will surely find it easier to get into than the new listener, but even on a cursory listen the album has its charm that makes it enjoyable. Had the scope of its songs been larger the appeal of the album may also have followed suit, but ultimately it remains in a rather subtle position".[4]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Glass Love Train" | Mark Cresswell / Tanita Tikaram | 4:36 |
| 2. | "Cool Waters" | Tanita Tikaram / Martin Winning | 4:05 |
| 3. | "The Way You Move" | Bryan Day / Tanita Tikaram | 2:53 |
| 4. | "Closer to the People" | Tanita Tikaram | 3:36 |
| 5. | "Gris Gris Tails" | Tanita Tikaram / Martin Winning | 3:09 |
| 6. | "The Dream of Her" | Tanita Tikaram / Martin Winning | 2:56 |
| 7. | "Don't Turn Your Back on Me" | Tanita Tikaram | 3:04 |
| 8. | "Food on my Table" | Tanita Tikaram | 4:37 |
| 9. | "Night Is a Bird" | Angie Pollack / Matt Radford / Tanita Tikaram / Martin Winning | 3:54 |
| 10. | "My Enemy" | Matt Radford / Tanita Tikaram | 2:32 |
| Total length: | 35:22 | ||
Credits[edit]
- Arranged by – Angie Pollock (except tracks 6 & 10), Tanita Tikaram (except tracks 1 & 9), Mark Creswell (track 1)
- Design – Alexander Mertsch
- Mastered by – Tim Young
- Other (string day assistant to Goetz) – Jonny Firth
- Photography – Kurt Stallaert
- Producer – Angie Pollock
- Producer, recorded by, mixed by – Goetz Botzenhardt
Chart performance[edit]
| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ö3 Austria Top 40[10] | 68 |
| German Media Control Charts[11] | 61 |
| Switzerland Albums Chart[12] | 84 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[13] | 25 |
References[edit]
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Tanita Tikaram - Closer to the People". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ Butterweck, Kai. "Folk-Melancholie weicht beschwingtem Jazz" (in German). laut.de. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ McNaughton, Mac (11 March 2016). "Tanita Tikaram - Closer To The People". The Music. themusic.com.au. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ a b Smith, Michael (24 March 2016). "ALBUM REVIEW: TANITA TIKARAM – CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE". Renowned for Sound. renownedforsound.com. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ "Tanita Tikaram -- Closer to the People". Discogs. discogs.com. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ "TANITA TIKARAM 'CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE'THE NEW STUDIO ALBUM - OUT MARCH 11TH 2016". Ear Music. ear-music.net. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ Tanita Tikaram - Food On My Table on YouTube
- ^ "TANITA TIKARAM 'CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE'THE NEW STUDIO ALBUM - OUT MARCH 11TH 2016". ear-music.net. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
- ^ Frost, Caroline (22 January 2016). "Tanita Tikaram Debuts Music Inspired By A Woman's Dark Addictions". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "austriancharts.at: Tanita Tikaram". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de: Tanita Tikaram" (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ "swisscharts.com: Tanita Tikaram". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
