Pearls is the debut album from singer Aisyah on the Groove Note label. It is Exclusively Available at NativeDSD in Stereo DSD 512, DSD 256 and DSD 128.
Groove Note’s latest recording artist, Aisyah, is a tremendously talented Singapore based vocalist who was recommended to them by current Groove Note recording star Vanessa Fernandez.
The top 10 finalist in a couple of regional vocal talent shows in her late teens, Aisyah was recently based in and recording in Malaysia for several years before returning to Singapore to pursue her own independent singing and songwriting career. Groove Note is honored to have been chosen by Aisyah for her very first fully independent recording session.
Working with a top guitarist-arranger (Sebastian Ho), Aisyah presents a mellow groove, audiophile friendly selection of contemporary and old school R&B hits and other favorites. The song selection runs the musical gamut, featuring covers of recent hits by Billie Eilish and Lianne La Havas all the way to a couple of Lou Reed and Bob Dylan classics from the ’70s along with further tasty selections by the likes of Chris Isaak, Sade and Roberta Flack.
The music program on the album also includes a couple of superb audiophile mixes, bonus alternate takes and a stunning and dramatic rendition of the well known standard “Smile“.
Aisyah, Vocals
Sebastian Ho, Guitar & Arrangements
Mei Sheum, Keyboards
Colin Yong, Bass
Rizal Sanip, Drums & Percussion
Kenneth Lun, Trumpet
Fabian Lim, Saxophone
Han Oh, Violin
Tang Jia, Cello
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.Total time: 00:58:09
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | GRV1250 |
| Qualities | DSD 512 fs, DSD 256 fs, DSD 128 fs, DSD 64 fs, DXD 24 Bit, WAV 192 kHz, WAV 96 kHz |
| Channels | |
| Artists | |
| Composers | Adu, Barnes, Chaplin, Dylan, Fox, Gimbel, Hale, Hales, Issak, Lawrence, Nelson, O'Brien, O'Connel, Parsons, Rae, Reed, Selway, Turner, Yorke |
| Genres | |
| Higher Rates Mastering | Tom Caulfield |
| Mastering Engineer | Bernie Grundman of BGM in Hollywood, CA |
| Instruments | Bass, Electric guitar, Keyboards, Saxophone, Cello, Drums, Percussion, Trumpet, Violin, Vocal |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Recording and Mixing Engineer | Roger Montejano |
| Release Date | March 12, 2024 |
Press reviews
The Audio Beat
I urge all those drawn to Contemporary Pop Music to give this album a listen. You just might discover, as I did, a singular vocalist free of the trappings of modern production models.
Highlights for me are “Walk On the Wild Side,” “Killing Me Softly”, “Purple Rain”, “High & Dry” and the title song, “Pearls”.
Lou Reed’s tour de force gets a superb treatment here with a “plucky” bass line pushed by the martial drumming running beneath the edgy lyrics, while the guitar carries on with its wah-wah effects. Aisyah aims high here and hits all the notes in her distinctive “chirruped” voice. All of this takes place amid an air of jollity.
Next up, after an unaccompanied vocal intro, the electric piano, drums and bass create a seductively nostalgic atmosphere for the song, “Killing Me Softly,” that launched hundreds of thousands of sales for Roberta Flack. Aisyah makes it her own. Fabian Lim’s sax lends color to the mix, adding just the right amount of retro, noirish feel. Closing out the side, Prince’s signature song,
“Purple Rain,” finds Aisyah opening in the middle register with only piano accompaniment. It’s not long before she again takes the high road and finds guitar and bass filling in beneath her soaring voice. A beautiful bass solo follows and leads into wordless warbling. This soon becomes a showcase for Aisyah’s lithe singing style before the song ends with more fine bass work.
“High & Dry,” a hit for Radiohead, gets a rather straightforward treatment, with an intimate intro bathed in cherub-like electronic effects leading into the body of the song, which proceeds at a leisurely pace until the spoken ending, which segues into Billie Eilish’s “Bellyache,” itself delivered with ample amounts of little-girl charm.
The title song, “Pearls,” features some fine alto-sax work by Lim, tasteful bass from Colin Young, and Aisyah in an often surprisingly sultry voice.
Pearls is a welcome addition to Groove Note’s unique catalogue of Jazz, Blues, Vocal, Classical and World Music.
Audio Asylum
Aisyah sounds somewhat of a blend between Billie Eilish and Adele. Okay more so Billie Eilish, and not much like Adele. But she has a voice that can draw you in. A great recording too.
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