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.