Caroline Lavelle

Brilliant Midnight

original and version 2.0

album review and artist reflections

Caroline Lavelle has returned after a six-year absence with her new solo album, Brilliant Midnight (Atlantic Records (USA) 2A-84637, 2001), the fourteen track follow-up to 1995's Spirit. This time around, Caroline has taken on the multiple roles of producer, songwriter, vocalist, and musician, showing herself to be extremely adept in each of these roles. Although considerably less 'electronic' in sound than Spirit, Brilliant Midnight is nevertheless a superbly crafted album and possibly an even more intelligent recording than her first. Our review incorporates an exclusive and comprehensive interview with the artist exploring her career and thoughts about these two stunning recordings.

One might begin by praising Caroline's rich, seductive, and instantly recognizable voice. Like fellow female vocalists Máire Brennan and Sarah McLachlan--who also share her Celtic heritage--Caroline Lavelle possesses a resonant and highly aspirated voice that immediately bespeaks intimacy and longing. Her husky, British-tinged intonations are both elegant and lush. Surely one of the most distinctive and thrilling vocalists to appear in the last decade, her's is that rare voice that once heard, cannot be forgotten.

As a cellist, Caroline demonstrates that she is indeed a master of her craft. The complex and striking string arrangements and classical-influenced melodies on Brilliant Midnight allow Caroline to display her passionate playing from every angle. Caroline's revealing, honest, and beautifully crafted lyrics perfectly compliment her exquisite voice and music. Avoiding the predictable and trite, she instead produces striking images with the skill of a poet.

Our original interview with Caroline was conducted when Brilliant Midnight was originally released in 2001. Upon the re-release in 2002, we caught up with Caroline for an update and have incorporated a review of the new version below.

2001 Interview

Musical Discoveries: Please tell us a little about your musical training / background and what led you to decide to perform as a solo artist?

Image © Atlantic Records 2001

Caroline Lavelle: My mother comes from Ireland and she would sing me songs that she'd learned as a kid, so I have a deep love of Irish traditional music.

I started the cello at the age of 6 - I originally wanted to play the violin but there weren't any left at school. However, with the exception of plane travel I am very relieved that was the case. I went to the Royal College of Music when I was 15 but I didn't sing til 10 years later.

I always thought that to write music was a mystery that only other people had fathomed, but when a friend gave me a little four-track recorder I wrote a song and it smashed down the door! Anyone can do it. I love the alchemy of songwriting - that you can get up in the morning and by the evening have conjured a new thing out of the air. Very very exciting.

Is Brilliant Midnight a departure from Spirit? Based on the clips we've heard it sounds as if your new album moves somewhat away from the electronic textures used in Spirit. Do you feel that the new album is more "organic" as opposed to "electronic?" And by the way, what language is the song "Siamant'o" sung in?

Not so much a departure as a moving ahead - I wanted a more organic feel, with more real players, while still retaining samples where that colour was needed. I love the sound of many cellos layered up in harmonies as on "Farther than the Sun." It's not often heard like that cos there's generally a string section and the colour is blended in. There is a deep noble quality to the cello when used in all it's registers, even when it's high. I was very lucky that the record company wanted me to produce the record myself and left me completely alone to do what I wanted, only listening to it when it was finished ready for mixing. I don't think that happens much now!

"Siamant'o" is in Armenian. In fact, "Siamant'o" was a great Armenian poet who was killed by the Turks during the time of the first world war. I have taken short phrases from a long poem by him called "A Handful of Ash."

Caroline's formidable cello-playing has appeared on numerous recordings including Barratt Waugh's I Love You, Goodbye, Mary Black's Song For Ireland, Jocelyn Pook's Flood and Untold Things, Hector Zazou's Lights in the Dark, Tones on Tails' Everything, Jah Wobble's Requiem, Loreena McKennitt's Book of Secrets, the Pogues' Pogue Mahone, Afro-Celt Sound System's Sound Magic Volume 1, Radiohead's Bends, the Waterboys' Dream Harder, De Dannan's Ballroom Peter Garbiel's Us, Del Amitri's Waking Hours, and Siouxsie & The Banshees' Kiss in the Dream House.

In addition, Caroline's has collaborated as a vocalist with Massive Attack on the chilling "Home of the Whale" (which song Caroline re-recorded for the Celtic Women II compilation), with Art of Trance on "Breathe," with Vangelis on the haunting "Come to Me," with Nigel Kennedy on "Breathing Stone," with Jam Nation on "She Moved Through the Fair," and with Chicane on "Lost You Somewhere."

You've collaborated with many different musicians both as a cellist and as a vocalist. If you had to pick the particular collaboration that was most memorable, which one would it be? If you could choose to record with someone, who would you choose?

Image © Atlantic Records 2001

The latest record I did that really inspired me was by Muse. I loved working with Massive Attack and the song really served me well cos it introduced me to William Orbit.

I have always wanted to work with David Bowie since I was tiny and Joni Mitchell is a dream too, although I would be too scared to actually play. I'd also love to work with Radiohead again.

The opening track on Brilliant Midnight is the poignant and searing "Farther than the Sun." Here, Ms. Lavelle has layered sweeping strings and light synthetic textures to create a polyphonic wave of sound. Caroline's voice is sweet, conjuring a sense of aching loss. This song is reminiscent of Sinead O'Connor's "Troy" in its intensity and the way in which it evokes an immediate emotional response. "Anxiety" is a middle-eastern tinged and slightly frenzied piece. Caroline has perfectly captured the anxiety caused by "him" (insomnia) as he waits patiently to "wring out every drop."

The cover photography for Brilliant Midnight is wonderful. How did the idea for the cover originate and how was it realized? Also, the cover for Spirit definitely echoes "Flaming June." Was this your idea?

Thank you. The photographer was Peter Ashworth, and he and the art director Greg Jakobek took the time to get to know me and what I wanted. The cover, for me, encapsulates the two-sideness of life, like the title, and there is a euphoria in the 'hidden' face that I feel very often. I loved the sight of the sun's corona when eclipsed by the moon and the picture reminds me of that too so it catches that brilliant midnight of the title. The picture was a triple exposure shot with different lighting for each exposure.

Spirit was indeed an echo of "Flaming June." Rob Dickens from Warners came up with the idea, and it nearly didn't happen cos I fell over my dog down some stairs the day before the session and dislocated my shoulder, so under the makeup I'm grey! Very painful indeed.

The romantically dreamy "Anima Rising" will appeal to fans of Loreena McKennitt and Enya. Gently carressing the ears, this song casts a serene spell on the listener. One of the best tracks on the album, "She Said," is a mid-tempo tune that quickly alters the peaceful mood set by "Anima Rising." Recalling Sarah McLachlan, Caroline displays the full power of her voice, modulating between notes with a shimmering wail. The verses with their steady and insistent percussion and guitar picking contrast wonderfully with the rocking chorus.

Take us through the process of songwriting. How do go from writing the music and lyrics for a song and then take it through the recording process?

Each song is different, but generally, I will write a stream of consciousness about whatever is in my mind at the time, and from that very large collection of words I try later to distill something when writing the music. The writing is also part of the recording process often, as I record a lot at home, only going to other studios when I can't accomodate the process here; like string sections for example. I also don't mix here.

Are there other artists/composers who have influenced you musically? If so, who are they?

Image © Atlantic Records 2001

Shostakovich mainly I think. I try not to listen too much to other people's stuff while I'm working cos I don't really want to be influenced. I can never chase fashion. Mainly it is the process of being who you are I think that shapes your music. One of the most difficult things for me to do is silence the voices on my shoulder who are always criticising what's going on!

The radio-friendly "All I Have" is an downtempo tune that entreats us to retain our uniqueness and individuality even during the most intimate of relationships. "The Fall," featuring Caroline's gentle voice accompanied by solo piano (played by Carol Isaac's) is a bitter-sweet song that creates an opaque mood allowing the listener to share in the sorrow and uncertainty of the situation. With its ethereal and chilling guitar-based lead, "Siamant'o" is sure to be another favorite on this album. Caroline's Armenian phrasings reverberate and resound throughout creating a sense of timeless wandering.

Many fans have wondered if there would be a follow up to Spirit. Was the period between the release of your first and second albums a conscious choice on your part? You mentioned in an interview that the recording of Spirit was quite a learning experience and that the second time around, things would be easier. Did you find such to be the case?

The reason for the long delay was creative differences with the first record company, who wanted me to make a record I didn't want to do. Finally, I left, and then re-signed, ironically to a different part of the Warner family who are fantastic.

The second record was both easier and harder. Easier cos I could entirely follow my own path and harder cos I had to entirely follow my own path.

The anguished "Karma" utilizes its title in a recurring refrain that evokes Sisyphus's endlessly repetitive efforts. From the woodwind-styled voice sample at the opening of the track to the eerie string arrangements to the strange gurgling effect at the close of the track, "Karma" is a delightfully unsettling track. Featuring composer Michael Nyman on piano, "Mangoes" bears some resemblance to his theme from the soundtrack for the film "The Piano." The combination of Nyman on piano, Caroline on bass, cello, keyboards, and Patrick Manouguian on guitar results in a stark and beautiful track.

What inspires your songwriting? Is it relationships, scenery, literature, film, other music?

So many things. For example, "Anxiety" is about my dreadful insomnia; "Universal" is about stuff covered in the Tao of Physics; "The Fall" is partly about me and partly about a girl I visited at a psychiatric hospital; "She Said" is about my guardian angel; "Farther than the Sun" is about the breakup of a relationship.

Image © Warner Brothers Records 1995

When Spirit was released, many critics compared it to Enya's work. Although many felt that this was a strained comparison, do you feel your music can be categorized as Celtic, Folk, Ambient, Electronic?

I think I make it difficult for shops and people who need to categorise music, because I can't think of a natural category that the record would fit into. This is unfortunate cos it doesn't help one's career!

Although "Le Porqoui" may be incomprehensible to those who do not speak French, one cannot help but be moved by this mysteriously powerful song. Here again, Caroline's dynamic cello-playing elevates the music to an almost epic level. The sensual "Firefly Night" is another standout track that combines forceful percussion, radiant guitars, strings, and Caroline's textured harmony vocals. The one word that comes to mind when listening to this song is "inevitability"-the lyrics ("It's too late for regrets, too late for regrets"), music, and rhythm all work together to generate a feeling of inescapable inertia.

How do you feel as a female artist in a largely male-dominated business? Currently women are demonstrating that they are capable of attaining great success in the music industry. Do you feel that this is a more opportune time for female artists than in the past?

Image © Atlantic Records 2001

Yes. I am grateful to the women who came before me and allowed me to have a freedom that they had to push for, although I dislike 'women only ghettos', like awards for women composers where there isn't a corresponding award for male composers. I don't want to be patted on the head for being good 'for a woman' I just want to be good.

A truly lovely and tender piece, "Universal," combines a gentle melody with ruminations on the core nature of humankind and the connections that exist between all people. The short instrumental piece, "Twisted Ends," is a quirky and fitting ending to the album, especially the playful laugh at the end of the track.

You clearly travel frequently as an artist. Is there a place that you've visited that holds a particular place in your heart?

San Francisco cos I have lots of friends there. Rome cos it's so romantic and history is so common it's left about like litter! The south of France in the foothills of the Pyrenees where the people are so friendly they take you into their hearts.

Have you performed your solo material live, and are there plans to tour with the new album? If so, where?

I did a few songs in a club in Los Angeles, and I shared a gig in London with William. It looks like I will be touring in the fall in the US, but it's not confirmed at the moment.

Rumour has it that you are also working on another album that will feature WW II poetry. Is this album still in the works, and if so, when do you expect that it will be released? Please give us any details.

WW I actually. I have found many poems from the rich seam created during the first world war and I am setting them in their original languages; Serbian, Armenian, French, German, Polish, Bulgarian and thankfully English too. It takes a very long time as I have to learn the poem parrot-fashion from a native speaker and then start on the music. It is a labour of love. Le Pourquoi on Brilliant Midnight is actually one of these songs. I have written about nine of them so far.

How has the internet affected you as an artist?

Feedback from fans is great - it's amazing to get emails from as far afield as India and Alaska.

Brilliant Midnight is ultimately a sophisticated, subtle, and fabulous recording that gets better and better after each listening. This is an album of great depth that reveals itself more fully through repeated play. After hearing Brilliant Midnight, fans will no doubt be expectantly waiting to hear more from this brilliantly gifted artist.

Musical Discoveries: What the the main differences between the original version and Brilliant Midnight 2.0 as far as tracks, mixing, etc. are concerned?

Caroline Lavelle: There are three new tracks on 2.0, and I've tweaked a couple of mixes and the running order is different - which I'm much happier with.

Please will you briefly explain why you started your new label and what fans can expect from it.

I wanted to have complete control over my music and not be driven to make decisions for the sake of potential sales. I think the label will evolve over time, but really it's going to be led by what I feel really happy about.

On Brilliant Midnight 2.0 you have included the bonus tracks "Lost Voices," "Home Of The Whale" and "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face." You recorded "Home Of The Whale" before with Massive Attack and a different version was also featured on the "Celtic Woman 2" compilation album. Does this song have a particular resonance with you and if so, what is it?

I heard it years ago in Ireland and loved it immediately. I could fill a whole album with versions I've made of it. I think when there is a really special song you can frame it in so many different ways.

Your version of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is spectactular. What led to its inclusion on Brilliant Midnight 2.0?

This is another song that I could do a whole album of. I did a really pared-down version which nearly made it to the album, also a dark, dark version with Hector Zazou which made it into a song of obsession, not love, which I liked very much, but the one that made it was the one done with my dear friends Ingrid Schroeder and Barry Flynn who came up with some great ideas and yet a new frame!

In previous interviews you've stated that "Lost Voices" might be the name of your next album. Now that it is a track featured on Brilliant Midnight 2.0 can fans expect a different album (and title in the future? If so when might we see a follow-up release?

Not sure! I think the WWI record will take years to do cos it's such a huge undertaking for me. "Lost Voices" was going to be on it but I just couldn't leave it off 2.0 - I'm too impetuous. My next release will be later this year or more likely, cos I'm touring with the Chieftains for a while, early next year. It will have a more accoustic, pared-down tradition feel.

We've heard rumours that you have recently performed vocals for a few dance/trans cats. Is there any news you can share with us about those collaborations?

I've done a song called "The Great Escape" with Brian Transeau aka BT which will be out in a month or two. The story behind the song is incredible, filmic, but I'll tell you about that later.

Image © Ringing Tree Records 2002

Fans of Caroline Lavelle will be pleased to know that the singer/songwriter/cellist has re-released her album Brilliant Midnight. This new album, entitled Brilliant Midnight 2.0 (Ringing Tree Records (UK) RTR1, 2002) features 3 new tracks: "Lost Voices," "Home of the Whale," and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." Additionaly, the original track order has been rearranged and some remixing has been accomplished.

As much as we loved the original version, Brilliant Midnight 2.0 is even more delightful and the bonus tracks make this re-release a "must have" even for those who purchased the first version. On her website at www.carolinelavelle.com, Caroline provides a detailed explanation for the re-release of the album. Caroline created Ringing Tree Records to facilitate the re-release of the album. This news can only be greeted with excitement by her fans inasmuch as Caroline will now have the freedom to create and distribute her music on her own terms.

As for the new tracks ... "Lost Voices" is a dazzling and monumental instrumental number that marries piano, violin and cello. "Heartrending" is probably the best way to describe the emotional quality of the music. "Home of the Whale" tells the haunting story of whale-hunters from the perspective of a woman who waits for her lover to return from the hunt. Caroline has recorded several versions of this song (first for Massive Attack), and one can instantly see why. Caroline's smoky and passionate voice captures the intimate and incandescent tone of the tale.

Caroline gives the classic "The Fist Time Ever I Saw Your Face" a fine downtempo treatment that refreshingly recalls her work on "Spirit" with its trip-hop laced backbeat. In sum, Brilliant Midnight 2.0 is a terrific reworking of the original release that treats fans to new songs, a more organic track progression and a cleaner sound than the first edition. Ever at the top of her game, Caroline Lavelle proves once again that she is an ingenious and original voice in the world of music.