Ane Brun "Leave Me Breathless" (2017)

digital album cover

Leave Me Breathless

release date: Oct. 6, 2017

format: digital (14 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,76]

producer: Ane Brun & Anton Sundell; Johan Lindström (co-pro.)

label: Balloon Ranger - nationality: Norway

Track highlights: 1. "I Want to Know What Love Is" - 2. "Always on My Mind" - 3. "Unchained Melody" (live) - 4. "Hero" - 6. "Into My Arms" - 8. "How to Disappear Completely" - 9. "By Your Side" (live) - 12. "Right in Time" - 14. "Big Yellow Taxi"

7th studio album by Ane Brun follows two years after When I'm Free (Sep. 2015) and is a different kind of outing as it's entirely made up of covers - mostly romantic love songs from various styles, genres, as well as different periods. The songs are, however, arranged in stripped-down versions with focus on Brun's delicate vocal that make all songs fit nicely together.

According to the artist's bandcamp-profile, the songs were initially made with a specific person in mind, and along the way it then materialised as this new collection of songs.

Covers have been a natural part of Brun's set-list through-out her career, which makes the idea of an album entirely made of covers a welcomed one, and also links to her Sketches album, which featured her own demos to the album Changing of the Seasons by showcasing initial versions of songs with focus on vocal performance and scarse instrumentations.

Most of the material are songs that have been successful in their original versions and therefore they resonate even louder when transformed in Brun's original and sincere renditions - at times even making the original versions sound as inferior (especially the songs by Foreigner, Mariah Carey, Bob Dylan). Another common denominator of the selected material on this, is a parameter of personal involvement. In that way, the songs are renowned for being hard to challenge in emotional delivery but that's exactly the strength of Ane Brun, her capacity of emotional expression. She simply delivers another layer to each song that makes this feel like a most natural release and something of her very own.

Although not being a regular collection of new material by Brun, this new album shines bright and once again show us what a gifted performer Ane Brun truly is.

[ 👍The Irish Times 4 / 5 stars ]

cd + vinyl cover