CHANGES – CD Review

By Asha Brodie, JazzReview.com, March 2012

Singer Carmen Lundy has returned to the scene with an album that can easily be categorized as one of her best yet. With music that is both consistent and a pleasure to listen to, this nine-track collection is entitled ‘Changes’ and features eight original compositions. It is a CD that will charm you, encourage you to dance, sing along and quite simply will brighten your mood. The tracks speak about love from all angles and include themes ranging from love for neighbors and friends, new love and breakups. With a CD launch planned for March 8 – 11 at the Jazz Standard in New York, and another in LA on March 29 and 30, Carmen took time out to speak to JazzReview about the new CD and her upcoming work.

Carmen's voice on the smooth track titled ‘The Night Is Young’ is lithe in the extreme and it's amazing to hear how she effortlessly shifts and segues within the melody. Indeed Lundy darts into altos and sopranos with consummate ease, sometimes without even pausing to catch her breath. Evidence of this can also be heard on the emotional and expressive ‘So Beautiful’, which she uses to celebrate new love. ‘Love Thy Neighbor’ is an infectious song with a powerful message about love without discrimination and a line that alludes to the fact "we all live by the same clock". Other songs on the CD include the soft and engaging ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’ while ‘Sleeping Alone’ commences with a lone acoustic guitar that sets the stage for a fluid, bright and gorgeous melody. Elsewhere ‘Too Late for Love’ speaks about mending love while both ‘To Be Loved by You’ and ‘Dance the Dance’ provide Carmen with the opportunity to regale the listener with sumptuous swaying, upbeat sounds. The CD's closing track is the acoustic laden ‘Where Love Surrounds Us’. It’s a delicate song from which Carmen's well-controlled vocals come shining through and is nothing short of magical.