Laura Mvula | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Britains Laura Mvula is a soulful vocalist known for her inventive, atmospheric mix of R&B;, jazz, classical, and pop. Born in 1986, Mvula grew up in the suburbs of Birmingham, where she was raised by her mother (who was from Saint Kitts) and father (who was from Jamaica). Introduced to jazz by her father, Mvula began taking piano lessons around age eight, and added violin lessons at age ten. Growing up, she also played in local youth orchestras and, influenced by her love of Disney films, aspired to be a film composer. In her teens, Mvula began listening to R&B; and gospel music, and eventually joined her aunts a cappella ensemble, Black Voices. After high school, she enrolled at the Birmingham Conservatoire at Birmingham City University, where she graduated with a degree in composition. She then worked as a supply teacher in the Birmingham school system and as a receptionist, during which time she also began writing songs on her laptop. Her demo tapes eventually caught the ear of manager Kwame Kwaten, who helped Mvula sign a recording contract at RCA. Her debut EP, She, followed in September 2012. The EP quickly grabbed the publics attention, and by October Mvula had been long-listed for the BBCs Sound of 2013 poll, ultimately finishing in fourth place. In 2013 she released her debut full-length album, Sing to the Moon. The album drew praise, peaking at number nine in the U.K. and launching several singles including "Green Garden," which landed at number 31 on the singles chart. Sing to the Moon also garnered Mvula a Mercury Prize nomination and MOBO Awards in the categories of Best Female Act and Best R&B; or Soul Artist. In 2014, she recorded Laura Mvula with Metropole Orkest, an orchestral reworking of Sing to the Moon recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Two years later, she delivered her sophomore studio album, The Dreaming Room, which featured collaborations with rapper Wretch 32 and legendary R&B; guitarist Nile Rodgers. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 5 Title: iTunes Festival: London 2012 Released: 2012-09-16 Tracks: 4 Duration: 14:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Like the Morning Dew (03:37) 2 Diamonds (03:10) 3 Let Me Fall (03:38) 4 Sing to the Moon (03:57) |
 | Album: 2 of 5 Title: She Released: 2012-11-16 Tracks: 4 Duration: 17:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 She (03:25) 2 Like the Morning Dew (03:40) 3 Can’t Live With the World (06:05) 4 Jump Right Out (04:10) |
 | Album: 3 of 5 Title: Sing to the Moon Released: 2013-03-01 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:08:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Like the Morning Dew (03:40) 2 Make Me Lovely (04:38) 3 Green Garden (04:09) 4 Can’t Live With the World (06:05) 5 Is There Anybody Out There? (05:11) 6 Father, Father (04:42) 7 That’s Alright (03:34) 8 She (03:25) 9 I Don’t Know What the Weather Will Be (03:30) 10 Sing to the Moon (04:07) 11 Flying Without You (03:21) 12 Diamonds (03:14) 1 Jump Right Out (04:10) 2 Something Out of the Blue (02:40) 3 Father, Father (live for Hunger TV) (03:19) 4 Diamonds (live for Hunger TV) (04:00) 5 Green Garden 1 (01:53) 6 She 1 (02:42) |
| Sing to the Moon : Allmusic album Review : Birmingham Conservatoire graduate and former music instructor Laura Mvula appeared in November 2012 with She, a four-song EP led by its title track. An elaborate and uplifting number -- part lullaby, part empowerment anthem -- "She" was unlike anything on the U.K. charts. It left an impression immediate and deep enough to land her a nomination for the BBCs Sound of 2013 poll. Sing to the Moon, her full-length debut, features "She" and builds upon that songs theatrical sound. Its rooted in decades-old forms of gospel, jazz, R&B, and, most deeply, orchestral pop. Almost all of the material is as serious and as refined as it is majestic, with vocal showcases and hushed-belted-hushed-belted dynamics galore. Taking in all the floating brass and drifting strings can be strenuous, but the tempo and mood perk up on the chiming romp "Green Garden," where Mvula drops the histrionics, loosens up, and projects pure joy: "Putting my bag down, taking my shoes off/Walk in the carpet of green velvet." "Thats Alright," another wholly spirited number, opens with little more than tumbling drums and melodic hums as Mvula beams, "I will never be what you want, and thats all right/Cause my skin aint light, and my body aint tight." The song then bursts with horns as the singer asserts, "Tell me, who made you the center of the universe?" and "What cha gonna do when I fly over you?" Although its more admirable than it is enjoyable, Sing to the Moon marks the arrival of a unique and major talent -- one with a commanding voice seemingly from another dimension -- who should be worth watching for many years to come. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 5 Title: Laura Mvula With Metropole Orkest. Released: 2014-06-23 Tracks: 12 Duration: 53:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Make Me Lovely (05:51) 2 Like the Morning Dew (03:37) 3 Can’t Live With the World (05:37) 4 Sing to the Moon (04:23) 5 Is There Anybody Out There? (05:16) 6 Flying Without You (03:49) 7 She (04:04) 8 Father, Father (06:18) 9 I Don’t Know What the Weather Will Be (03:54) 10 Green Garden (04:12) 11 Diamonds (03:30) 12 That’s Alright (03:26) |
| Laura Mvula With Metropole Orkest. : Allmusic album Review : Over a year after the release of Sing to the Moon, Laura Mvula followed her Mercury Prize-nominated, Top Ten U.K. debut album with this -- an alternate song-by-song version, recorded with the 52-member Metropole Orkest at Londons Abbey Road Studios. While there are some obvious studio touches, most evident with some of Mvulas vocals, this is a small treat for orchestral pop lovers and others who hear the original album as an over-produced product of its time -- a bit too Baz Luhrmann. Some of Sing to the Moons quieter and more organic songs, such as "Cant Live with the World," dont sound much different here, while the likes of "Thats Alright" and "Green Garden" are both lighter and more theatrical. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 5 Title: The Dreaming Room Released: 2016-06-17 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Who I Am (01:19) 2 Overcome (03:12) 3 Bread (03:22) 4 Lucky Man (02:53) 5 Let Me Fall (03:40) 6 Kiss My Feet (03:44) 7 Show Me Love (06:03) 8 Renaissance Moon (00:46) 9 Angel (03:41) 10 People (03:48) 11 Nan (01:12) 12 Phenomenal Woman (02:44) |
| The Dreaming Room : Allmusic album Review : The Dreaming Room is somehow more sumptuous and emotive than Sing to the Moon, Laura Mvulas impressive 2013 debut. Written and produced primarily with Troy Miller, who she met while working on the soundtrack for 12 Years a Slave, its another categorically evasive set that updates and amalgamates traditional forms of blues, jazz, R&B;, and orchestral pop. For all its unearthly charm, it nurtures the soul. Mvulas rich voice prances across songs of perseverance, salvation, survival, hope, and pride. Everything is transmitted with a contagious form of optimism, even in darker moments like "People," where Mvula mourns "They strip us down and rape our minds, our skin was a terrible thing to live in," then marvels "How glorious, this light in us," her words accentuated with a congruent verse from Wretch 32. The only other guest appearance comes from Nile Rodgers, whose golden and unmistakable rhythm guitar is threaded throughout "Overcome," one of the many highlights of this powerful album. | ||