Album Review: Harriet The Outcome (2023)

My signed copy of Harriet's album The Outcome, 2023. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

Singer and songwriter Harriet released an excellent album last year. Titled The Outcome, it collects 10 original songs, all co-written by Harriet, and 2 covers. The Outcome is an affecting album, full of songs of love lost and love gained. Harriet has a lovely alto voice, and the songs she wrote for The Outcome show off the full range of her instrument.  

Harriet’s voice is often compared to Karen Carpenter’s, and what they have in common, in addition to their low alto range, is an exceptional warmth in the timbre of their voices. It feels like Harriet is singing just to you, and there’s a warmth and intimacy to her voice that comes across in every song she sings.  

I won’t go through every song on The Outcome, but here are some thoughts about some of my favorite songs on the album. 

“Story of Your Life” is an up-tempo pop song that starts with an insistent synth line. The lyrics deal with self-doubt and empowerment. In the second verse, Harriet wonders “And why do I run/from all the things I’ve done/when every adventure is part of the fun?” There are always times when we wonder if we’ve made the right decision or wonder why we’ve made certain decisions. Harriet sings on the catchy chorus: “No angels left to save you/just demons left to fight/it’s time to be the hero/in the story of your life.” That’s a message that most of us can probably relate to—to take charge and not be afraid to be the central character in our own narratives. Harriet’s backing vocals on “Story of Your Life” are fantastic, and you can really hear the wonderful tone of her vocals. 

“Heartbreak Holiday” is a fun, up tempo song that finds Harriet having a fun night out on the town after a relationship has ended. Harriet tells us that she’s “gonna break my rules/in my Hollywood shoes,” that put her “six inches closer to the stratosphere.”  

“Nothing Hurts Like You,” is an original song, and the lyrics tell of a love affair that has ended. But memories come flooding back as Harriet sees her old flame with someone new. As Harriet sings on the chorus, “It’s not like me to be this jealous/oh, but nothing hurts like you/heart in heart with someone new.” Harriet does a great job of infusing emotion into her voice, and she’s especially good at hitting that fine line between happy and sad that the Carpenters and ABBA seemed to do so well. 

“Real” is a lovely song about a new romance beginning, and one of my favorite happy songs on the album.  

“Drop in the Ocean” is a bit of a different sound for Harriet, as it’s more of a dance pop tune than the 1970’s-inspired melodic pop style that Harriet usually favors. The instrumentation of the song centers mainly around keyboards and bass. Lyrically, the song deals with the end of a relationship, as Harriet consoles this listener with the catchy chorus: “It’s just a drop, drop, drop in the ocean/Stop, stop, stop at the notion/One tear doesn’t amount to much/This little drop, drop, drop in the ocean/Flood, flood, flooded an ocean/One tear never is quite enough.”   

“The Outcome” is the last song on the album, and it’s an excellent closing song, as Harriet reminds us “To live is to die some, forget the outcome.” It’s a good reminder to seize the day and take a chance.  

If you love melodic pop songs with catchy chorus and superb lead vocals, you’ll enjoy Harriet’s album The Outcome.  

Harriet "Story of Your Life" CD Single (2023)

My signed copy of Harriet's "Story of Your Life" CD single, 2023. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

Harriet’s new album The Outcome will be released on May 12, 2023, and the third single “Story of Your Life” was released at the end of March. I’ve written about the other singles Harriet has recently released “Nothing Hurts Like You” and “Drop in the Ocean.” Like “Nothing Hurts Like You,” “Story of Your Life” has also been released as a physical CD single. (You can order the single from Harriet’s website here.) The CD single was very nicely designed, as it has a gatefold with Polaroids of Harriet, and a full-color booklet with lyrics included.  

“Story of Your Life” is an up-tempo pop song that starts with an insistent synth line. The lyrics deal with self-doubt and empowerment. In the second verse, Harriet wonders “And why do I run/from all the things I’ve done/when every adventure is part of the fun?” There are always times when we wonder if we’ve made the right decision or wonder why we’ve made certain decisions. Harriet sings on the catchy chorus: “No angels left to save you/just demons left to fight/it’s time to be the hero/in the story of your life.” That’s a message that most of us can probably relate to—to take charge and not be afraid to be the central character in our own narratives.  

Harriet’s backing vocals on “Story of Your Life” are fantastic, and you can really hear the wonderful tone of her vocals. “Story of Your Life” is another strong song from Harriet, and it just whets my appetite for hearing The Outcome when it’s released in May.  

The CD single also has two B-sides that won’t be on The Outcome album: “Some Die Young” and “I Lie.” “Some Die Young” is a cover of a song by Swedish singer-songwriter Laleh. Harriet does a fine version of the song, but the lyrics are quite depressing. I don’t like the thought that some people are fated to die young. “I Lie” is an original, co-written by Harriet, that first appeared in a live version on her 2020 CD Piano Sessions. The live version is just Harriet’s vocals and a piano, while the version on the CD single has a fuller arrangement. It’s a very nice song, and it catches the ear right away with the opening line, “Have I told you/I don’t love you.” It’s a lovely song, with a chorus that sticks in your head.   

Harriet "Drop in the Ocean"

The cover for Harriet's single, "Drop in the Ocean," 2023.

The British singer Harriet is one of my favorite singers, and her new album The Outcome, will be released on May 12, 2023. Harriet’s song “Drop in the Ocean” was released at the end of January as the second single off the new album-the first single was the excellent “Nothing Hurts Like You,” backed with Harriet’s cover of the classic ABBA song “The Winner Takes It All,” which I reviewed here.  

“Drop in the Ocean” is a bit of a different sound for Harriet, as it’s more of a dance pop tune than the 1970’s-inspired melodic pop style that Harriet usually favors. The instrumentation of the song centers mainly around keyboards and bass. Lyrically, the song deals with the end of a relationship, as Harriet consoles this listener with the catchy chorus: “It’s just a drop, drop, drop in the ocean/Stop, stop, stop at the notion/One tear doesn’t amount to much/This little drop, drop, drop in the ocean/Flood, flood, flooded an ocean/One tear never is quite enough.”  

“Drop in the Ocean” is a fun departure from Harriet’s usual style, and the song highlights her rich, warm voice. It will be interesting to see if some of the other songs on The Outcome follow the more pop sound of “Drop in the Ocean.” You can pre-order The Outcome in various formats from Harriet’s website, including on cassette tape with two different alternate cover art designs to choose from. Don’t worry, if you really can’t pick between the two cassettes, you can get a bundle with both of them.  

Harriet "Nothing Hurts Like You" and "The Winner Takes It All" CD Single (2022)

Harriet's 2022 limited-edition CD single of "Nothing Hurts Like You," backed with her cover of ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All." (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

UK-based singer and songwriter Harriet will release a new album called The Outcome in April 2023, and I’m looking forward to hearing it. I reviewed Harriet’s 2016 debut album here, and I was quite thrilled when Harriet’s latest single “Nothing Hurts Like You” came out in November 2022. Harriet has a fantastic pop voice, a contralto that is reminiscent of Karen Carpenter. Harriet is a great fan of the pop music of the 1970’s, and in December she released a limited-edition CD single of “Nothing Hurts Like You” with her excellent cover of ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All.”  

“Nothing Hurts Like You,” is an original song, and the lyrics tell of a love affair that has ended. But memories come flooding back as Harriet sees her old flame with someone new. As Harriet sings on the chorus, “It’s not like me to be this jealous/oh, but nothing hurts like you/heart in heart with someone new.” Harriet does a great job of infusing emotion into her voice, and she’s especially good at hitting that fine line between happy and sad that the Carpenters and ABBA seemed to do so well. “Nothing Hurts Like You” is a catchy pop song that whetted my appetite for Harriet’s upcoming album. 

“The Winner Takes It All,” is Harriet’s version of the classic ABBA hit. With “The Winner Takes It All,” Harriet is able to take a very familiar song and make it fit her own style. In an Instagram video, Harriet said of the song, “Given that I recorded all of my record in Stockholm, Sweden I couldn’t NOT record an ABBA song! It’s definitely the hardest I’ve ever sung.” Harriet’s voice soars on the song as she hits the high notes, but there’s also an intimacy to her vocal that communicates the sad emotion of the song.  

If you like pop music with strong harmonies, catchy melodies, and terrific singing, check out Harriet’s music.  

Album Review: Harriet, by Harriet (2016)

 

The cover of Harriet's debut album, 2016.

Concert poster for Harriet, 2017.

London-based singer/songwriter Harriet released her first full-length album in 2016. Harriet co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs on the album, titled Harriet. Harriet has an excellent pop voice, a contralto that is reminiscent of Karen Carpenter’s. Like Karen Carpenter, Harriet has that knack of sounding a little sad when she sings happy songs, and a little happy when she sings sad songs.

I discovered Harriet’s music when I was listening to the Debutantes (you can read more about the Debutantes here) and Spotify recommended Harriet to me. I had never heard of Harriet before, but I thought, “I’ll give her a listen,” and I was instantly won over.

If you like pop music with strong melodies that harken back to the 1970’s, you’ll enjoy Harriet’s music. Harriet’s main collaborator on the album is Steve Anderson, who co-wrote almost all of the songs with her as well as playing the piano. Anderson has worked with many artists over the years, including one of my favorites, Kylie Minogue. Anderson has written and produced many songs for Kylie since the 1990’s, and he’s done the arranging for almost all her concert tours.

The songs on Harriet feature orchestral work by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra complements the songs very nicely and never threatens to overpower the songs or turn them into easy listening-sludge.

The album starts with “Afterglow,” with only Harriet’s voice and a piano at the beginning. This simple intro highlights the warmth of Harriet’s vocal timbre and pulls the listener into the song. “Afterglow” tells the story of a romance that has seemingly run its course, but Harriet refuses to give up, singing “Remember how I made you laugh/I’m not ready to let go/let’s chase the afterglow.” Although I don’t know if that’s the best relationship advice, it’s a beautiful song.

“What’s Mine Is Yours” is another excellent song that starts out with Harriet singing acapella. It’s an interesting song that’s about the power of connection through music. The lyrics seem to hint at a sort of musical reincarnation:

“Some part of me has been here before

You hear it in my voice

I’ll give it up if you’re listening

What’s mine is yours

You say that when I sing

I make you feel something

You don’t understand”

Those lyrics are a great summary of what music does: make us feel something we don’t always understand.

I interpret some of the lyrics as being about Harriet’s voice. I think the “it” in the next stanza is her voice, or perhaps her music:

“I don’t know where it came from

I don’t know why it’s mine

It’s in the music somebody played me

From a warmer time”

There is something mysterious about music—why it produces such strong emotions in us, how it works, how we create it. Even a musical genius like Paul McCartney gets a bit mystical when he talks about where his songs come from—there’s an element of mystery and chance in it.

I won’t discuss every song on the album in detail, but other highlights include the bouncy “First and Last,” and the fun and flirty “Permission to Kiss.” One of my favorite songs on the album is “Love Will Burn,” with soaring strings that make it sound like it could be the theme song for a James Bond movie. The sprightly “Fly” is an excellent pop song, with a catchy chorus: “And I don’t wanna feel the ground beneath my feet/I wanna fly and know how it feels/to let love come right and sweep me off my feet/I wanna fly and know how it feels.”

The only cover on the album is the last song, “She’s Out of My Life,” written by Tom Bahler and made famous by Michael Jackson, whose version appeared on his 1979 album Off the Wall. Interestingly enough, there’s a connection to Karen Carpenter, as Wikipedia tells me that it was rumored that Bahler wrote the song about his relationship with Karen Carpenter, but Bahler states this is untrue. Harriet delivers an excellent rendition of the song, and she leaves the narrative gender unchanged.

Harriet is a superb debut album showcasing a gifted songwriter with a fantastic voice. If you like good pop music, you should check it out.