Celeste ‘Woman of Faces’ Album Review by Graham Finney
Arriving following a successful few years career-wise, ‘Woman of Faces‘ represents a new chapter both in Celeste’s career and her personal life. Created during the breakdown of a romantic relationship and shaped by her effort to regain stability and self-trust, the album documents Celeste’s emotional journey of heartbreak, recovery, and personal resilience, blending orchestral elements with an intimate, reflective, honest approach from the singer. The end result is a stunning piece of work.
The themes and orchestral structure of the album are arranged seamlessly around Celeste’s beautiful yet almost haunting voice. It is that voice which is the magical ingredient of this truly powerful collection of stories. Listen to this record and you are hearing the power of a person that is both gentle yet filled with emotion and pain, painting a truly heartwrenching picture of her journey. Starting with “On With The Show“, her voice pours out full of regret and sorrow yet, underneath it all, her words echo with a resilience and determination.
It is this heartbreak, recovery, resilience and determination which forms the basis of every song on this album. “Keep Smiling” is pure soul-baring backed by a simple yet effective musical arrangement. The title track production draws on old Hollywood–style string arrangements with Celeste‘s almost Amy Winehouse-like vocal delivering a stellar performance. An album which finds Celeste doing an incredible amount of soul-searching and reflection, Woman of Faces, is an album that drips with honesty and re-evaluation, making this an album which, while undeniably a reflection of the past, presents the sound of a new future.
“Happening Again” is tender and sorrowful. The piano-soaked ”People Always Change” is another song which finds Celeste in a reflective mood as she admits “People always change. It’s just no good for me as I just stay the same…” Towards the conclusion of this album, Celeste delivers the breathtaking “This Is Who I Am”, a powerful statement to herald the future for the award-winning songwriter.
‘Woman of Faces’ presents a portrait of an artist reassessing her identity and creative and personal priorities. This very public display of emotion and honesty plays out in a way that not only closes a turbulent chapter of her life but opens the door to a new and exciting future. Simply sensational.
Order your copy of ‘Woman of Faces’ here.
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