Released: May 10
For over 30 years, Gabrielle has been a staple in British pop and on her latest album, ‘A Place In Your Heart’, she leans into a broad range of influences for a showcase of everything she does best.
Arriving on the back of the covers collection ‘Do It Again’, which marked the Londoner’s return to the Top 5 of the UK Albums Chart for the first time since the ‘90s, the new record boasts 12 original tracks, co-written by Gabrielle, that veer away from the ‘soul’ label she’s been plastered with throughout her career and instead tap into a sometimes angsty, often blues-leaning soundscape that brings to the fore another dimension of her vocal and songwriting abilities.
Opening with the pre-release single, Sorry, the tone is immediately set, with the star who was once ‘ready to rise again’ in the depths of despair at the end of a relationship, beyond the point of no return.
Its mid-tempo energy carries through much of the set, which sees Gabrielle work through a range of emotions in some of the most introspective and contemplative lyrics of her career. The guitar-driven Change sees her declare ‘The woman that I used to be / She’s gone forever’, while stirring anthem Lifeline looks outwards, tackling contemporary cultural issues and life in the UK today.
Lead single and title song, A Place In Your Heart, is among the more direct pop cuts on the LP and, alongside closing number, the driving Conquer, sees the artist reemerge with a fresh mindset and a focus firmly set on the future. As she says on the latter: ‘The battle is won’
A record that feels decades in the making, the eighth studio set from Gabrielle sees the singer-songwriter step outside of all preconceived notions of a ‘Gabrielle album’ and offer up a body of work that feels current and relevant to the singer as she stands today.
It’s reflected in Good Enough; a self-love anthem featuring fellow British singer-songwriter Mahalia – who makes no secret of Gabrielle’s influence – in a profound vocal trade-off between two of pop’s strongest female performers, transcending generations.
It’s a heavy listen from the singer-songwriter that, in navigating her way through an emotional rollercoaster, is underpinned by the undeniable charm that earned Gabrielle a place in our hearts all those years ago.
