Natalie Walker-Urban Angel

Artist: Natalie Walker
Title: Urban Angel
Genre: Dance-Electronic
Label: Dorado Records / Quango Music Group
Website
CD Baby Link

When I read about the song of the siren luring seafaring men to their doom in classic literature, I imagine singing like that of Natalie Walker. Her vocalization is gentle and sweet to the ears, and the only word I can find to describe her voice is dulcet. Add to that her physical beauty; she has the sort of fair complexion and big blue eyes that make you want to put your arms around her and protect her from the cruelty of the world. Her lyrics are personal and exhibit an emotional and spiritual maturity, and she has the uncanny ability to team up with gifted musician/composers. For her debut solo album, Natalie Walker has pulled all of these elements together and given us Urban Angel.

To classify Urban Angel as a solo album is almost a prevarication because, although Natalie pours herself into every song, the contributions of Stuhr members Dan Chen and Nate Greenberg and their friends are significant. The compositions are sensual and melodic, like on "Crush." Natalie sings about giving her innocence to her first lover, inviting us to bare witness, to vicariously participate in this intimate moment as she breathily sings the words "This is strong and sweet / I wanna keep it going / stop the noise in our heads / just take it in." The slow drumbeat with sustained electric guitar and the plucked sound of harp strings layered with xylophone, keyboard and acoustic guitar create an ethereal, almost dreamlike sound that can best be described as euphonic. Natalie lays before her lover the proposition that she will follow him anywhere he takes her, and then she takes a bite from the apple.