Song of the Week No. 11 - Laura Mvula - Overcome

Okay - maybe Song of the Six Months Or So...

Coming home from a wonderful concert in Ballarat yesterday (Alessandra Garosi, Adam Simmons, David Jones), Laura Mvula came up on the player.  "It's about time we heard something new from the fabulous Laura", I thought.  So what came up in a list of recommendations on YouTube today?  A new song, "Overcome", made in collaboration with dance legend Nile Rodgers.  Although Nile is The Man (I was even nicknamed after him at one time), I haven't always liked what he's done.  I was nervous.  Had Laura sold out to Disco?  How could Nile compete with the spare, thoughtful orchestral arrangements of her stunning first album?  The start of the song didn't immediately calm my fears, dominated as it was by a four-on-the-floor drum loop and a typical Nile guitar riff, but as it progressed her rich harmonies layered themselves over the beat and ushered in a joyous, exultant chorus which for me evoked church bells.  A sincere celebration of life.

Leave a comment