Forget podcasts or audiobooks for your long bus rides, your tube adventures, and traffic jams. The thing you need is Celeste‘s newest album Not Your Muse. The album, which features 22 tracks, will keep your mind occupied for an hour and 20 minutes.
The album starts with the slow-tempo song ‘Ideal Woman.’ With the first notes hitting your ears, you’ll be ascending to music heaven. You know that feeling when you’re sitting on a windowsill with the rain splashing against the window, a cup of tea in your hands, and wearing an oversized sweater? Well, this album definitely is the one you will be playing when that happens. The album switches to ‘Strange‘, which is beautifully accompanied by string instruments. Celeste’s raspy voice delivers a beautiful contrast with the perfectly tuned violins. I am only two songs in, and I find it hard to imagine that this is someone’s debut album. The first two songs are already making you believe she has been doing this for at least decades. The next song, ‘Tonight Tonight‘, suddenly picks up the pace. It kind of reminds me of Adele’s ‘Rumour Has It‘ when it comes to instrumentals.
Celeste has a very impressive CV already. Not only did she snatch the so-called “Adele Spot” during the 2020 Brit Awards, she also worked with Finneas (Billie Eilish’ brother), recorded songs for The Trial Of The Chicago 7 and Soul, and – last but not least – did the song for the John Lewis Christmas advert. With a resume that impressive, your debut album has a lot to live up to.
A few songs in, and I’m starting to believe more and more that she has lived up to those high expectations. The title track, ‘Not Your Muse‘, follows the more uptempo ‘Tell Me Something I Don’t Know.’ The changes of tone from one song to the other puts you on the edge of your seat, making it fun to listen to. You just don’t know what to expect next, but all surprises are pleasant. One of the most catchy songs on the album is ‘Love Is Black.’ It may remind you of the great Amy Winehouse, in particular Love Is A Losing Game. The song talks about celebrating nearly giving up on love, and suddenly finding a worthy partner. One of my favourite choruses from the album comes from ‘A Kiss.‘
“I’m savin’ one for later / That might just be my saviour / I’ll only know then if I should / ‘Cause I abandon reason / When I get this feeling / It’s like a madness in my blood”
If you were not aware of not only the incredible voice Celeste has, you are also now aware of her phenomenal songwriting skills.
The album explores all the kinds of emotions and ranges Celeste has, from the ballads where you can hear her raw emotions through her voice, to more happy times. One of the best things about the album is the bird noises in ‘The Promise‘, which sound even more chirpy and crisp with her mellow voice. The choice of instrumentals and added sounds perfectly balance out her voice.
The last song of the album, ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star‘, was recorded for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. For some people, it may be a weird choice to put the world’s most famous lullaby on your album. However, it just works on an album like this. It fits well with the other songs, and the minimalistic acoustics remind you of how beautiful Celeste’s unique voice truly is. Certainly a very bold choice, but something that has definitely has paid off.
The only wish I have for this album is for Celeste to put out a power ballad. Her voice is beautiful on slow, sulky ballads, but if she really wants to go for it – it would be fun to hear her try out something Rolling In The Deep-esque. All in all, Celeste has done a wonderful job on Not Your Muse.
Her distinctive, smooth vocals make the 1.5-hour album feel like you’ve only been listening for 3 songs. Time flies when you’re having fun. If you, like me, like to compare artists with each other, Celeste feels like the right mix between Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Sam Smith. I know, I know – that is a bold statement to make. However, her voice and sound feel like a familiar hug you just do not want to wriggle your way out of. The album feels timeless. From ‘Tell Me Something I Don’t Know‘ to ‘In The Summer Of My Life‘, Celeste’s debut album definitely made a statement: She is here to stay.
