Showing posts with label Malaya Blue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Malaya Blue. Show all posts

Thursday, October 20, 2022

Malaya Blue - Blue Credentials

Size: 119.9 MB
Time: 51:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2022
Styles: Contemporary Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Your Act Has Worn Thin (2:56)
02. Wrong Kinda Love (3:40)
03. Oh What A Fool (3:49)
04. I Can't Find No Love (4:46)
05. The Time We Had (6:11)
06. Curious (3:12)
07. I'm Having Dreams Again (3:40)
08. Good Intentions, Bad Results (5:29)
09. Bring Me Your Sin (4:02)
10. Set Me Free (3:58)
11. Howlin' Mercy (5:10)
12. Messin' Around (4:45)

Acknowledgement of Malaya Blue’s continued recognition in the worlds Blues community can be measured by the quality of musicians who travelled from far and wide to record her new album in a small back street recording studio in her home city of Norwich.

Richard Cousins (Robert Cray, John Lee Hooker, Etta James), Brett Lucas (Bettye LaVette, Thornetta Davis, Jeremy Spencer), John McCullough (Sinead O’Connor, Van Morrison) and Sam Kelly (Gary Moore, Chaka Khan, Robert Plant and more) were happy to be involved. The album builds on the song-writing partnership with multi Grammy winning writer and producer Dennis Walker (Robert Cray, BB King, Bettye LaVette) with contributions from Brett, Joey Delgado (Delgado Bros) and Hank Linderman (Joni Mitchell, Eagles and Chicago).

2020’s release 'Still' firmly planted Malaya into the Roots Music Report charts, sticking around for over a year and gaining no less than six Grammy considerations. When such iconic figures as Dennis and the godfather of UK blues Paul Jones not only publicly sing Malaya’s praises as a vocalist but are happy to collaborate with her, it’s time to sit up and take notice.

Malaya burst onto the live circuit in 2015 following the release of her critically acclaimed debut album Bourbon Street. Introducing her intoxicating stage presence to blues audiences at The Great Rock & Blues Festival that year, a plethora of bookings followed including iconic venues such as The Jazz Cafe, The 100 Club, New Crawdaddy Club and The Bulls Head, Barnes as well as Birmingham International and Colne festivals. Along the way the British Blues Association nominated Malaya UK Blues Challenge Final.

Early 2016 found Malaya in the studio recording the follow up album with some of the cream of British blues musicians and guest appearances by the legendary Paul Jones who has become a fan and staunch supporter. The resultant album Heartsick received even higher praise than the debut and introduced the Malaya Blue phenomenon to a wider audience with continued radio play on BBC Radio 2, all the UK based blues broadcasters and at respected stations across the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, South America and most of Europe. National and International print and online music media have been generous in their praise of the album with reviews, interviews and articles appearing in Classic Rock, R2R, Maverick, Blues Matters, Blues In Britain, Rock Society, Red Lick, Songwriting Magazine, Music­News in Britain: Blues Blast and Elmore magazine in the US plus Rock Your Brain, Rootstime, Blues Greece and Concert Monkey in Europe to name only a few.

That record also introduced her vocal prowess to Dennis Walker who was blown away with what he heard and started writing songs tailored to her voice and taking Malaya under his wing to pass on his song-writing techniques and skills. The first album to come from that collaboration was Still, which also included input from Brett Lucas and Richard Cousins. It really gave Malaya recognition to the USA blues community, spending over a year high in the respected Roots Music charts and gaining Grammy considerations in six categories. The longer Dennis and Malaya worked together the more he was able to craft songs around her voice and style leading to the super selection of songs on the new album Blue Credentials.

It means a lot to Malaya to be the only UK based artist Dennis ever worked with. New album Blue Credentials displays the blossoming of this connection, completed and given his seal of approval shortly before his passing in the Spring of 2022.

Blue Credentials MP3
Blue Credentials FLAC

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Malaya Blue - Still

Size: 121,6 MB
Time: 52:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2020
Styles: Contemporary Blues
Art: Front & Booklet

01. Still (5:42)
02. Down To The Bone (3:39)
03. It's A Shame (4:24)
04. Love Can Tell (4:45)
05. Why Is Peace So Hard? (5:48)
06. Love Of Your Life (3:39)
07. Kiss My Troubles Away (3:46)
08. Settle Down Easy (4:32)
09. Down To The Bottom (5:14)
10. These Four Walls (4:02)
11. I Can't Be Loved (3:06)
12. Hot Love (3:48)

For her third full-length studio album, UK contemporary blues singer/songwriter Malaya Blue collaborated with three-time Grammy winner Dennis Walker to co-write and produce the simply titled, “Still.” The pair brought together some of the finest musicians from the UK music scene including guitarist Nat Martin, keyboard wiz Stevie Watts, exceptional drummer Mike Horne and bass player Eddie Masters to the acclaimed Ashwood Studios in Norwich, run by master engineer Sotos Yiasimi. The sessions resulted in a dozen new tracks assembled on the album old school style as the “Still Side” and the “Blue Sid;.” a package designed to satisfy her legion of blues fans as well as music lovers into R&B and Neo-Soul. While fleshing out the songs with Malaya Blue, Richard Cousins, original bass player with the Robert Cray Band, was called upon to bring in ideas. The Grammy winner gave Malaya the previously unrecorded ‘Still,’ a song that was originally intended for a Robert Cray album. Feeling the sentimental ballad was a perfect fit for Malaya, Cousins stepped in to lay down the bass line for the album’s opening track and emotional centerpiece. From here Malaya expresses her slow burning scorn on the clavinet driven funk tune ‘Down To The Bone.’ The breezy melody and easy swing of ‘It’s A Shame’ hides the melancholy in the lyrics and the emotions Malaya puts in her vocals. Malaya Blue makes a stand against heartbreak on the fast-moving track ‘Love Can Tell,’ as the band displays their considerable musical chops. Malaya holds nothing back on the gospel infused blues ‘Why Is Peace So Hard?,’ passionately recounting the tale of a mother who has lost her son and her plea to stop the endless wars. The “Still Side” concludes with the dulcet ‘Love Of Your Life,’ the soft piano and vocal duet making for a romantic intermission. Malaya kicks off the “Blue Side” of the album with the rousing ‘Kiss My Troubles Away,’ turning the tables on the familiar theme into what a working woman needs when she gets home. More musical theatrics are on display for the spicey R&B breakup to makeup song ‘Settle Down Easy.’ Malaya gets even more intimate during the alluring ‘Down To The Bottom,’ celebrating the joys of falling in love again. Drummer Mike Horne sets up the groove for the burning ‘These Four Walls,’with Malaya working out her feelings as the pulsing music reflects her growing frustrations in trying to move on from tough love. Another fine piano ballad, ‘I Can’t Be Loved,’ shows off her tremendous chops and depth as a lyrical stylist. The “Blue Side” ends with the dramatic ‘Hot Love,’ a Broadway styled rocker about a defiant girl breaking free and following her dreams in pursuit of love. This well-produced third album, “Still,” from Malaya Blue, with its first-class instrumental execution backing her evocative vocal performances, should garner wide ranging attention to this rising artist. ~Rick J Bowen

Still MP3
Still FLAC

Monday, March 20, 2017

Malaya Blue - Heartsick

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:54
Size: 125.7 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[3:22] 1. Heartsick
[4:05] 2. Hunny Little Day Dream
[4:42] 3. Colourblind
[7:13] 4. Let's Reinvent (Love)
[4:55] 5. Acceptance
[4:56] 6. To Remain The Same
[4:17] 7. I Have Arrived
[6:54] 8. Strand Of Gold
[5:13] 9. Share The Love
[5:49] 10. Hope
[3:22] 11. Soul Come Back

Malaya Blue may be relatively new to the scene, but she carries on the tradition of fine blues music that her sisters and brothers from the United Kingdom have been producing for decades. Her debut album, Bourbon Street, was very well received, earning her four 2015 British Blues Association Award nominations. With this effort, this Norwich based singer laid the groundwork to break through on a worldwide scale, though we are still waiting for our chance to see her here in the States.

Malaya did not rest on these laurels, and has released a worthy follow-up, Heartsick, with eleven original tracks that were cut at The Grange Studios in Norfolk, UK. Accompanying her vocals on this disc is a new line-up that includes Dudley Ross on guitar, Paul Jobson on the keyboards, bassist Stuart Uren, and Andrew McGuinness behind the drum kit. This band is capable of handling every genre on this disc, with arrangements that range from bare bones to fully instrumented songs that come complete with a string section. Heartsick is a very slick album, with solid original songwriting, good musicians, and high production values. It should be no surprise that Malaya Blue now has two winning projects for her CV as she has worked very hard to get to this point. Malaya has been getting the word out too, having appeared at numerous gigs and festivals over the past year and promoting her music on the air. Hopefully there will be an update to the gig page on her website soon, as this kind of music translates well to the stage and it would be great for her fans to have the opportunity to see her live show. ~Rex Bartholomew

Heartsick mc
Heartsick zippy