Dreamchaser

All Music Guide - Thom Jurek

Dreamchaser is classical crossover superstar Sarah Brightman's first studio recording in five years. The offering was inspired by her decision to become the first singer in outer space. She has already spent time training, and is scheduled to blast off to the International Space Station in 2015. Mike Hedges and Sally Herbert (the latter formerly of the Banderas) helmed these sessions with heavy hands and regal elegance. The set opens with the spacy classical pop of "Angel," written by Herbert and Jerry Burns specifically for the singer. Its enormous strings, electronic percussion, throbbing bassline, disembodied backing voices, guitars, and harp offer a dramatic entrance -- especially when the choir enters to cap it. Up next is the first eye-opener: her reading of Elbow's "One Day Like This." Her voice is surrounded by sequenced synths, painstakingly arranged strings, and ambient textures, turning this indie pop gem into the mainstream, grown-up variety, yet keeping the song's integrity. She follows it with a reading of Sigur Rós' "Glosoli," with English lyrics by Squeeze's Chris Difford. The beautiful, subtle soundscapes of this Icelandic band are absent here, replaced by a more pronounced sense of melody. That said, ambient sounds, layers of cellos and violincellos, a restrained backing chorus, and drums that sound like muted thunder create a stellar backdrop for Brightman's gorgeous vocal. Her readings of the "Lento e Largo" from Henryk Górecki's Symphony No. 3 and Rimsky-Korsakov's "A Song of India" are less successful, however, due to so much reverb that Brightman actually gets swamped in the mix. Another standout is her version of Sia's confessional "Breathe Me." Framed in sparse keyboards and warm spacious electronics before the other instruments enter, her vocal is treated with digital delay and reverb tastefully, adding dimension to a track she makes her own. Likewise, pushing her version of the Cocteau Twins' "Eperdu" out further on an excess ledge -- while remaining faithful to the basic production -- works quite well, even if it is less delightfully alien than the original. That said, her reading of Paul McCartney's "Venus and Mars" falls quite flat, containing none of the charm written into the tune. Though Dreamchaser may not win her many new fans -- she doesn't need them -- it's is a shoo-in for fans. Despite some missteps, Brightman stretches her comfort zone again; she gets points for even attempting some of these songs. That she pulls off her most daring choices is a testament to her artistry.

From the Producers

The first album in 6 years from the world's biggestselling soprano with over 30 million album sales; Sarah Brightman is an international superstar as beloved for her staggering vocal range (over three full octaves) as for her impassioned film and stage performances. Brightman now directs her goals even higher. In addition to releasing a new album, she will be part of a three-person crew travelling to the International Space Station on board a Soyuz rocket. Once on the ISS she intends to become the first professional musician to sing from space!

Sarah Brightman	Primary Artist, Vocals, Footsteps
Shirley Lewis	Background Vocals
Jon Brion	Guitar, Piano, Celeste, Vibes
Sally Herbert	Conductor
Mike Hedges	Footsteps
Yuka Ikushima	Keyboards, Background Vocals
Makoto Sakamoto	Bass, Guitar, Drums
Joby Burgess	Percussion
Dee Clay	Background Vocals
Olli Cunningham	Piano
Richard Rundle	Guitar
Melody Myers	Background Vocals
Mark Griffiths	Choir Master

Henryk Mikolaj Górecki	Composer
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov	Composer, Lyricist
Paul McCartney	Composer, Lyricist
Mike Oldfield	Composer
Sarah Brightman	Arranger, Composer, Lyricist
Shirley Lewis	Drum Engineering
Haydn Bendall	Vocal Engineer
Chris Braide	Composer, Lyricist, Vocal Arrangements
Pete Davis	Programming
Chris Difford	Composer, Lyricist
Elizabeth Fraser	Composer, Lyricist
Sally Herbert	Arranger, Composer, Programming, Lyricist, Producer, String Arrangements, Choir Arrangement
Linda McCartney	Composer, Lyricist
Mike Hedges	Arranger, Composer, Programming, Lyricist, Producer
Jerry Burns	Composer, Lyricist
Stylorouge	Art Direction
Yuka Ikushima	Composer
Everton Nelson	Orchestra Leader
Geoff Sanoff	Vocal Engineer
Sigur Rós	Composer, Lyricist
Dan Carey	Composer, Lyricist
Guy Garvey	Composer, Lyricist
Makoto Sakamoto	Composer, Programming
Nick Taylor	Vocal Engineer
Sia Furler	Composer, Lyricist
Lee Slater	Vocal Engineer
Isabel Seeliger-Morley	Drum Engineering
Mazen Murad	Mastering
Olli Cunningham	Score Supervisor, Vocal Engineer, Choir Arrangement
Robbie Nelson	Drum Engineering
Tucker Robinson	Vocal Engineer
Richard Rundle	Programming
Andrew Guthrie	Composer, Lyricist
Philip Raymond	Composer, Lyricist

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All Music Guide - Thom Jurek

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All Music Guide - Thom Jurek

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