Memoirs

by Rox

Overview

With the likelihood of a new Amy Winehouse record surfacing any time soon decreasing by the minute, the long list of divas hoping to fill the beehive-haired gap appears to be increasing with the same speed. Joining Paloma Faith, V.V. Brown, and Eliza Doolittle on the retro soul-pop roll call is 21-old South Londoner Roxanne Tataei, aka Rox, who, having recently covered for the troubled star during her scheduled festival performances with Mark Ronson, has perhaps more right to take that mantle than any. Her debut album, Memoirs, does undeniably contain the kind of toe-tapping Northern soul stompers that made Back to Black such a colossal success, including the shuffling Hammond organ-driven opener "No Going Back," the '60s doo wop pastiche "I Don't Believe," and the Motown-tinged ballad "Do As I Say." But thanks to its genre-hopping production from Commissioner Gordon (Mary J.Blige) and Al Shux (Lupe Fiasco, Jay-Z), Memoirs is far from the Winehouse tribute record its opening tracks suggest, at times recalling the late-'90s nu-soul of Lauryn Hill (the gospel-fused "Breakfast in Bed") and the laid-back jazz-pop of Corinne Bailey Rae (the gorgeously understated, acoustic-driven "Forever Always Wishing"), while also convincingly tackling lover's rock reggae on "Rocksteady," infectious hip-pop on "My Baby Left Me," and trip-hop on "Page Unfolds." Inevitably, Rox's tender years mean she hasn't quite experienced the hardships that inspired her obvious influences' greatest works, with most of Memoirs centering around the woes of her teenage love life, while the occasional lapses into screechy, Mariah Carey-esque territory, particularly on the stripped-back "Heart Ran Dry," are something she'll have to iron out if she wants to avoid the histrionic X-Factor contestant label. But whereas some of her contemporaries' debuts felt like contrived efforts to jump on the vintage soul bandwagon, Memoirs feels like the real deal, and suggests Rox has the potential to step out of her fellow Brit school graduate's shadow next time round. ~ Jon O'Brien

Product Details

Release Date:	06/15/2010
Label:	Rough Trade
UPC:	0883870049528

Tracks

1. No Going Back
2. Do As I Say
3. Page Unfolds
4. I Don't Believe
5. My Baby Left Me
6. Forever Always Wishing
7. Heart Ran Dry
8. Breakfast in Bed
9. Precious Moments
10. Rocksteady
11. Oh My
12. Sad Eyes/Gallais

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Rox   Primary Artist
Benjamin Hancox   Violin
Charisa Dowe   Strings
Jack Tarrant   Clapping
Robin Ashwell   Viola
Soothsayers   Horn
Roxanne Tataei   Vocals (Background),Bass,Vocals,Clapping,Wurlitzer,Tambourine,Vibraphone
Tim Shider   Guitar
Andy Bassford   Guitar
Kiris Houston   Piano
Marvin Daniels   Conductor
Maxine Moore   Viola
Christopher Sky Juice Burth   Percussion
Alison Dods   Violin
Edith Yokley   Strings
Scott McCormick   Drums,Clapping
Ade Omotayo   Vocals (Background)
Jodi Milliner   Bass
Donovan Jackson   Organ,Fender Rhodes
Thomas Gould   Violin
Fung Chern Hwei   Strings
Sam Dixon   Bass
Jack Birchwood   Trumpet
Nik Carter   Flute,Saxophone
Steven Fuller   Trombone
Baby N'sola   Vocals (Background)
Peter Kelleher   Keyboards
Cara Berridge   Cello
Al Shux   Bass,Organ,Piano,Guitar,Keyboards,Percussion,Vibraphone,Harpsichord,Vocals (Background)
Andre Murchinson   Trombone
Astor Campbell   Drums
Ben Jackson   Clapping
Andrea Martin   Vocals (Background)
Jason Silver   Organ,Piano
Earl "Chinna" Smith   Guitar
Mike Cave   Drums
Tom Barnes   Drums,Guitar
Ben Kohn   Bass
Kevin Batchelor   Trumpet
Gareth Brown   Drums
Cedric Brooks   Saxophone
Hannah Dawson   Violin
Horace James   Organ,Piano,Fender Rhodes
Christopher Meredith   Bass
Matthew Sharp   Cello

Technical Credits

Jack Tarrant   Assistant
Jammal Day   Engineer
Jaune Gallais   Design
Paul Centellas   Management
Sun G   Producer
Timothy Shider   Composer
TMS Productions   Engineer,Producer
Tunde Babalola   Composer
Will Bloomfield   Management
Roxanne Tataei   String Arrangements,Design,Composer
Adam Midgley   Composer,Engineer
Darren Lewis   Composer
Matt Prime   Composer
Kevin Westenberg   Photography
Roberto Sanchez   Arranger,Engineer
Anastas Hackett   Programming
Gavin Jones   Composer
Richard Edgeler   Assistant
Scott McCormick   Engineer,Assistant
Donovan Jackson   Composer
Sam Dixon   Composer
Alexander Shuckburgh   Composer
Anna Wayland   Composer
Peter Kelleher   Composer,Programming
Al Shux   Engineer,Producer,Programming,String Arrangements,Additional Production
Astor Campbell   Composer
Ben Jackson   Assistant
Jeremy Wheatley   Mixing
Mike Cave   Mixing,Mastering
Sean McGhee   Composer
Tom Barnes   Composer
Richard Adlam   Recreation,Drum Samples
Ben Kohn   Composer
Dan Parry   Assistant
Horace James   String Arrangements
Christopher Meredith   Composer
Kevin McPherson   Composer
Brio Taliaferro   Programming
Gordon Williams   Composer,Engineer,Programming
Tom Elmhirst   Mixing
Simone Lombardi   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Programming