LP - Black Colour Vinyl - Limited Edition **Includes a free digital MP3 download [320 kbps]
Sometimes it is hard to get inside Joe Moore's head. When is the right time for a SUNLIT album? When for THE PERFECT KISS? How does he decide if a new song is for THE YEARNING? Does it all happen at once? Is all of this mixed with his productions for other artists, such as Cristina Quesada, MARINITA PRECARIA, Lia Pamina, or Maddie Mae herself? What is clear is that his mind is full of genius and fantasy.
In this new album by THE YEARNING, he picks up where he left off on “Evening Souvenirs”, diving headfirst into a series of style exercises ranging from bolero to cha-cha-cha, passing through bossa nova, Lindy Hop, French chanson, progressive jazz, folk, and even the sounds of Broadway, giving them his unmistakable personal touch. This new album is a treatise on music appreciation and lounge music that pays homage to Vinicius de Morães, Burt Bacharach, Dusty Springfield, Blossom Dearie, Eydie Gormé and LOS PLANCHOS, Doris Day, Evie Sands, João Gilberto, Stan Getz, and so many other artists who turned melody into art by playing with arrangements and rhythms with an elegance that is hard to find today. Furthermore, it must be said, the Spanish guitar takes on a special prominence in this album.
In “The Rush Of Love”, it seems that each track proposes a different musical journey. The title song, which also opens the album, does so guided by the hand of Nara Leão, Astrud Gilberto, and Joyce (how many wonderful incarnations Maddie Mae reveals to us on this record!). “Love You For Longer” breaks your heart, just as Sandie Shaw, Linda Scott, and THE PARIS SISTERS used to, thanks to that marvelous flugelhorn that reminds us we are inside a dream. “When The Morning Comes” is Lindy Hop, a wonderful swing that Jacques Demy would have included in any of his musicals (in “The Young Ladies of Rochefort”?) or that Jimmy McHugh would have gladly incorporated into his repertoire. “Butterflies” is a cha-cha-cha that sounds sweet, as if whispered to us from the lips of Marilyn Monroe, and before we even know it, we find ourselves surrendered on the shore of a Dominican beach under a drawn moon. “In A Heartbeat” could be Bacharach at his brightest or, as we said at the time, proof that Joe and Maddie are the best possible embodiment of the unearthly chemistry displayed by Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra. “Music To My Ears” is another exquisite and delicious trip to Brazil led by João Gilberto, Wanda Sá, Caetano Veloso, and Lani Hall. And “The Weight Of The World” closes side one with sobriety, introspection, and moodiness, featuring an outstanding starring role for the Spanish guitar.
“Love Me (Like You Do)”, an eternal, unique, and heavenly song, creates an impossible triangle between Ry Cooder, Claudine Longet, and Jack Nitzsche. “Hiding To Nothing” is an acoustic delight whose opening resembles a MAZZY STAR song, slowly revealing itself as a borderland country song with an unforgettable chorus. “So Easy” brings us the soul spectrum of Dionne Warwick and, naturally, could be the perfect soundtrack for one of the most distinguished James Bond movies. “My One, My Only” is one of those colorful folk musical fantasies with bossa roots that could very well have been sung by Petula Clark, Twinkle, or Bobbie Gentry, and that sounds so good in Maddie Mae's voice. Just like “A Story Of Happiness”, which also has that hint of tropical jazz that could have easily enriched and energized the soundtrack of “La La Land”. “Warning Sign” navigates between Afro-Cuban music and mambo much like Sandie Shaw or Eydie Gormé would. And the album's closer, “The Echoes Of Your Love”, could be a new opportunity for Dusty Springfield to hold one of Burt Bacharach's great compositions in her hands, as if “The Look Of Love” (coincidence?) had a younger, refreshed, and updated sister—yet equally stylish, nocturnal, intimate, thrilling, and with a harmonic progression that (attention, musicians) should be studied in schools. What a wonder!
We don't know what is brewing inside Joe Moore's head, but we have no doubt that he is one of the most incredible songwriters working today. It would be hard to find another name capable of building such a catalog in terms of quantity, quality, stylistic diversity, and inspiration over all these years of releasing music. And this winning formula reaches its peak when the lead voice belongs to Maddie Mae.
“The Rush Of Love” is a perfect record: there are no filler tracks, and both its addictiveness and listenability are at an absolute maximum. You only need to look at the string of names it illustrates and places within each of its songs. We assure you there is no letdown whatsoever. It is a delight for any music lover, and specifically, for pop fans. Don't miss it.
