Hope

by Susan Boyle

Overview

Officially, Hope -- Susan Boyle's sixth album since 2009, every record appearing in time for the holiday season like clockwork -- is her first non-thematic album since 2011's Someone to Watch Over Me, but in broad terms every one of Boyle's records feels the same and this 2014 set is no exception. Relying heavily on the pop standards of the '60s and early '70s with the comparatively recent cover of Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" and Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" offered as spice, Hope is cut from the same cloth as its predecessors: it's nothing but songs that have been handed down through the generations via variety shows, all arranged not to offend. This has been Boyle's modus operandi since I Dreamed a Dream but Hope, like Standing Ovation: The Greatest Songs from the Stage and Home for Christmas, benefits from the absence of her original producer Steve Mac, who gave her original album a chilly somnolence. Hope still is in danger of dragging due to its stateliness but the surroundings are warmer, which is not only a better fit for Boyle's voice but also means the record comes closer to providing a comforting bath of familiarity. By design, there are no surprises in either the songs or arrangements on Hope, but the execution is precise and professional and Boyle and her fans both benefit from this shift in tone. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	10/21/2014
Label:	Syco Music
UPC:	0888750093325

Tracks

1. Wish You Were Here
2. I Can Only Imagine
3. Angel
4. Abide with Me
5. Imagine
6. Will the Circle Be Unbroken
7. Bridge Over Troubled Water
8. The Impossible Dream
9. Oh Happy Day
10. You Raise Me Up [Live]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Susan Boyle   Primary Artist,Vocals
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra   Primary Artist,Strings
Lakewood Church Choir   Featured Artist
Crouch End Festival Chorus   Choir/Chorus
Dermot Crehan   Fiddle
Kennedy Aitchison   Piano,Keyboards
Mick Wilson   Vocals (Background)
Jonathan Ayling   Cello
Dishan Abrahams   Bass
Steve Anderson   Piano,Keyboards
Charlie Kenny   Drums
Diva Choir   Choir/Chorus
Luke Fitton   Guitar
Timothy Gill   Cello
Cliff Masterson   Piano,Guitar,Conductor,Keyboards,Choir Conductor

Technical Credits

Joe Darion   Composer
Jeremy Wheatley   Mixing
Mitch Leigh   Composer
Ash Howes   Mixing,Programming,Instrumentation,Additional Production
Vlado Meller   Mastering
Sean Kenny   Engineer
Kennedy Aitchison   Mixing,Arranger,Producer
Kevin Burleigh   Mixing
James Drew   Editing,Pro-Tools
Jonathan Allen   Engineer
Susan Boyle   Arranger,Liner Notes
Jez Ashurst   Programming,Instrumentation
Steve Anderson   Arranger,Producer,Remixing,Programming
Jim Neilson   Assistant Engineer
Avril Mackintosh   Editing,Engineer,Pro-Tools
Ken Watts   Producer
Traditional   Composer
Paul Simon   Composer
Cliff Masterson   Arranger,Producer,Programming
Bart Millard   Composer
John Lennon   Composer
Roger Waters   Composer
Rolf Lovland   Composer
David Gilmour   Composer
Brendan Graham   Composer
Edwin Hawkins   Composer
Gary Thomas   Engineer
Sarah McLachlan   Composer