Michelle Tumes stayed busy during her 5-year hiatus, writing music (for Jump 5 & Italian tenor Alessandro Safina) as well as studying ancient history and literature.
Tumes was glad she kept those creative juices flowing, for the momentum was still there for the writing, recording and producing of her new self-titled album. And that includes serving as conductor for guest artists the Prague Filmharmonic Orchestra, and playing all the piano parts. Her delicate yet assertive touch is all over this intricate, richly-textured project.
“Michelle Tumes” is a collection of atmospheric, classically-influenced songs, lyrically relating to life perceived through spiritual eyes. Her signature clear vocals come across as even more ethereal than remembered, immediately apparent on opener “Introit,” an upbeat pop track, heavy on the synth. The classical-pop “Domine” eloquently mixes electric guitars and her Enya-esque airy vocals to craft a prayer for guidance. The lilting rhythms of “Let It Rain” provide sweet support for Tumes’ richly descriptive lyrics, definitely one of the album’s strengths: “Searching, above the sea of clouds/ You’re all I see/ Endless, tapestry of streams dancing/ Around me, starlight in shimmering waves/ I feel rain.”
The opulent “Fair Weather” is a celebration of strings, Tumes’ haunting vocals dancing above the moody cello. The vibrant piano of “Gypsy Heart” shines beneath her tale of a wandering heart and its desperate journeying. The pop beats and lively lyrics of “Lovely Day” make it a possible radio contender, whereas most of these tracks are more esoteric then the usual radio fare. I enjoyed the driving rhythms of the passionate “Yearning,” and it is positioned nicely before the airy elegant “Caelum Infinitum.”
Tumes makes an interesting choice to close out the album. The straightforward stripped-down “Hold Onto Jesus” was written at the tender age of 17. Absent the lush instrumentation of the ten previous tracks, her vocals are startling clear, her sincere emotion nakedly present, making this, to my mind, one of the more powerful tracks on the album. She leaves me wanting more, always a sign of a productive successful album. Welcome back, Michelle Tumes. You’ve been missed.
Click here to read the recent Suite Interview with Michelle Tumes.
