Monique Angele
Alive
(Monique Angele)

The six songs of Monique Angele’s Alive showcase her songwriting, clear-as-bell bell vocals, and fine piano playing.

Tunes like “Our Paradise,” which mainly feature Angele’s vocal and piano, work best for me. Yes, she has the help of drummer Shawn Burgess (who more than not provides these tunes with interesting, almost stuttering snare), violinist Sarah Busuttil, and embellishments from Alive’s producer/recording engineer, Sean O’Sullivan. But this is an album that really is about a woman singing her songs from her heart and using the piano to tell her stories.

“Forever Strong” is the obligatory ballad, with low strings plodding in, the vocal and lyric lifting things from the usual standard one might get here. It’s a solid tune about perseverance. Again we get an odd beat sailing in, here by the second verse. “Hold On,” is a bluesy read, but delivered, once again, with those great pipes of Angele’s and a simple piano part. Yes, there’s an organ and drums here, even some ‘wacka wack’ guitar, and a gospel style backing, but it’s the piano and vocals we are following.

“I Want A World,” has got some simple piano (once again), a nice mix in of electric guitar, some lilting backing vocals, and Angele wailing her best of any song here. Things rise up maybe a little overly dramatic (I do feel the tune goes on a bit too long to make its point), but it’s solid overall.

Monique Angele is an emerging Canadian singer/songwriter based in Australia. Alive certainly presents some very lively compositions showing off her talents.