Hayley's 'Metascore'

[Stephany]

From London News[/url].

Treasure
By Adrian Carter
Another day and it would seem another young prodigy to review. Following on from the sickly sweet fest that was Andrea Ross’s album debut this time round I find myself having my eyes propped open with matchsticks while I contend with Hayley Westenra’s latest release Treasure.

Cue usual ingredients for such a release that should it would seem be obvious to all and sundry by now if they are keeping up with my reviews. Take one wistful cover shot, gazing out into the mist is of course optional but this time round they have seen fit to stick Hayley next to a stone wall looking ever so slightly morose and thoughtful (don’t forget to use Photoshop to emphasise how blue her eyes are.etc).

Next jam the CD to the hilt with a mixture of traditional numbers and standards (Danny Boy, again!!). Retire to safe distance as reviewer loses will to live and weeps in a corner. Rather than be totally negative however I will find something of merit in this release. However tricky a prospect it might be for me.

There’s no question that Westenra can sing, but then again this is not her first time out of the traps. This is her third release and in terms of vocal ability she’s all over these songs with ease. In terms of backing the strings are suitably sumptuous with the swells and dips in all the right places while the panpipes nauseate in the way they traditionally do when I’m exposed to them. There are the odd moments in here that shine though, notably the track Summer Fly which is the nearest this collection gets to moving out of comatose territory.

Apparently this little collection was recorded by Hayley as a nod to her grandmother who was a singer in her younger years. So these are her reinterpretations of prior material. And if you like your music in the somnambulant category then this should appease your desires, for anyone else though I would suggest yet again to tread carefully.

[Stephany]

Amazon.co.uk[/url] review by Danny McKenna. Not a customer, he's an employee from Amazon.

Review
Hayley Westenra's first two albums - Odyssey and Pure – blended classical arias, traditional Irish and Maori folk songs with great success. This third album, while covering similar ground in terms of musical styles, is slightly different. Recorded in Dublin, it thematically celebrates Westenra's family roots - namely her grandparent's journey across the world from Ireland to New Zealand in the 1880s - featuring not only cover versions, but also several of her own compositions. The bad news is that the choice of covers on Treasure is not startlingly original. Songs like "Danny Boy," "Scarborough Fair", and "Shenandoah," have been sung by a thousand voices, and though Westenra's versions aren't without merit, they hardly break new ground. More interesting are Westenra's own compositions, such as "Summer Fly," a Norah Jones-esque slice of countrified folk that breaks up the smoothness of Treasure beautifully, and "Whispering Hope," a jaw-droppingly gorgeous hymn recorded a capella alongside a choir. A mixed bag of songs it is, but Westenra's enormously enchanting voice ensures it a place in any collection.

[Stephany]

The US Amazon review now, by Christina Roden.

Having sung before royalty and performed with the Irish super-group Celtic Woman, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, and Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel, the very young and remarkably beautiful singer is back with a tribute to her Celtic ancestry. As with her previous Platinum-selling releases (she is already a huge star in her native New Zealand, Japan, Australia, and the UK), the orchestrations are lush, with sighing phalanxes of strings and woodwinds. But in keeping with the avowed theme, there are also soft touches of soulful, wavering tin whistles and vaguely fiddle-like violin vamps. The program is more varied than the album's title might lead one to expect, encompassing everything from "The Last Rose Of Summer" and "Danny Boy" to "Shenandoah," "Scarborough Fair," "Abide With Me," and even a couple of more pop-oriented songs penned by Westenra herself. However, brief sideways winks toward Nashville or the Great White Way do not adulterate the album's overall mood of ethereal, remote bliss. The one misstep is an English-language cover of "Un Bel Di" ("One Fine Day") from Puccini's Madama Butterfly: an aria unsuited to the artist's fragile, bell-like soprano and placid temperament. This aside, established classical crossover/theatrical divas like Sarah Brightman would be wise to begin looking to their laurels.

[postscript]

On the other hand, Stephany, No 10 Hayley Westenra - Treasure (Decca Records) Glenn Meads 25 February 2007 has something to say. He objectively defines his reason for disliking where he does. He has a point. We on this forum have frequently expressed the view that we would listen to Hayley singing the Telephone Directory--but who, normally wants to hear the Telephone Directory sung?

He highlights, without knowing he does so and perhaps in complete ignorance of the event, how right Hayley was to insist on 'Wuthering Heights' with 'Pure'. I can't now remember if I highlighted 'Summer Fly' as the song I thought was 'Treasure's' 'Wuthering Heights' equivalent to 'Pure' but he hits very firmly on that contrast in the CD.

I saw 'Treasure' as a well measured balance across the board, gently leading in to variations on a theme. Perhaps there is too much subtlety in this? Rather than blending songs, which Glen Meads seems to interpret as blandness, she should go for CD 4 as a CD of contrasts really showing up the diversity of her style? A CD balanced by songs like 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Summer Fly' making a Hayley version of 'raunchy'. It wouldn't be anything like 'raunchy' but it would be daring, controversial and possibly what she needs next time round?

What I saw as a well-balanced CD in absolutely the right order (I haven't yet played 'Celtic Treasure') he sees as 'sameness'. It is a reasoned viewpoint at a certain audience level of knowledge. There can be disadvantages to being Hayleywowed which don't help Hayley. On the other hand, I have no reason to change my first expressed opinion but I do see a danger lurking behind Glenn Meads' opinion. Is she appealing too much to the Hayley-cognoscenti and becoming too narrowly defined?

Peter S.

[Stephany]

From AudioSavvy.com[/url] :

Hayley Westenra 06/03/2007 @ 4:42 PM
Album review: Treasure

Hayley Westenra is the 19-year old New Zealand soprano who has had success with two albums. Her first, Pure, reached #1 on the UK classical charts and has sold over 2 million copies worldwide making her the fastest-selling debut classical artist to date.

She became an international star at the age of 16. Since then, she’s performed for dignitaries of the western world, is also a philanthropist and donates much of her time and money to charities, such as UNICEF. In other words, this is not your typical rock star. Treasure is her third international album, released in the UK in late February and in the US on March 13 under the name Celtic Treasure.

Whether this is the album for you will depend how much you like cross-over albums and songs like Scarborough Fair; Shenandoah; Danny Boy; One Fine Day and Abide With Me. Enough said! But it will sell in droves for Mothers' Day.

5/10

J.G

[Stephany]

From Glasswerk Nottingham[/url].

Hayley Westenra - Treasure
Review by: Katy Whitelaw
Written on: 6th March 2007


This is the third album from New Zealand born, platinum-selling artist Hayley. The songstress brings her own operatic interpretation of Irish, Maori folk songs and Italian operatic arias on ‘Treasure’. As Hayley’s pure voice opens on ‘Let It Lie’, you are whisked off to 18th century Ireland and you can imagine lots of white horses bounding across lush green fields. Tracks from this album could easily be plucked for a cinema score due to Hayley’s emotive and poignant expression of the songs. Every Celtic-drunk-uncle’s favourite, ‘Danny Boy’, gets the Westenra treatment and it’s refreshing to hear it without the singer having consumed 10 pints of Guinness.

[Stephany]

From Living It[/url].

Hayley Westenra 'Treasure'

Kiwi Hayley Westenra sold more than three million copies of her first two albums, and like Charlotte Church before her, sang for prime ministers, presidents and queens in the process. The now familiar mix of traditional, classic and original material sees Danny Boy and Abide With Me sitting alongside songs co-written by Westerna such as the Celtic-flavoured opening track Let Me Lie. Having previously performed with Andrea Bocelli, Hayley also wraps her tonsils around Italian on Le Notte Del Silenzio, co-written with Antonio Galbiati and performed with Humphrey Berney. Compared to Sarah Brightman and a restrained Celine Dion, as well as the aforementioned soprano-turned-chatshow host Church, Hayley possesses obvious talent and the songs here create an album that whilst not quite thrilling, is certainly capable of creating a gentle, relaxed musical environment.

[postscript]

The London News, what ever that is, I don't recall the title is at least reasoned and from a certain viewpoint is not invalid. It is a warning sign of what I wrote in my earlier post about Glenn Meads.
Peter S.

[Stephany]

Short review from the New York Post[/url] :

Hayley Westenra
"Celtic Treasure"

On her just-in-time for Saint Patrick's Day record, this pure-voiced New Zealand soprano delivers a breathtaking collection that wears enough green to be sufficiently traditional and dynamic to transcend the holiday. She sings a terrific "Danny Boy," but she wins your heart with her cover of "Shenandoah".

[Stephany]

Peter, I agree with what you said. In any case, we have to take these reviews with a pinch of salt.

[postscript]

In your no. 14 post, Stephany, 'Associated Content', the first criticism of which I am aware of 'Celtic Treasure', it is apparent that Hayley is provoking a diversity of opinion. This is not a bad thing. It would be nice if everyone was Hayleywowed. This dichotomy is indicative of a wide-ranging CD. It is obvious that many critics are allowing their own musical preferences to over-ride a certain objectivity.

Now that someone else has written it in the public context, I do record that I had wondered if some of her high notes were strained and whether the sotto voce effect on some of these was more to do with avoiding something difficult rather than a form of intended variation, particularly with 'One Fine Day' on which I did express the view that it was a surprising ending giving a unique interpretation (or something to that effect). I deliberately ignored the possibility that there might be other reasons. I deliberately countered this in my own mind by saying, 'why select it, if the result was not the intended one?'

Peter S.

[postscript]

stephany said:

Short review from the New York Post

[/url] :

Hayley Westenra
"Celtic Treasure"

On her just-in-time for Saint Patrick's Day record, this pure-voiced New Zealand soprano delivers a breathtaking collection that wears enough green to be sufficiently traditional and dynamic to transcend the holiday. She sings a terrific "https://i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifanny Boy," but she wins your heart with her cover of "Shenandoah".

[/quote]

Now this is where we really get critical. This is The New York Post. 'nough said!
Peter S.

[Stephany]

From Readings Australia :

CELTIC TREASURE
Hayley Westenra
Staff Review

Hayley Westenra’s latest CD is an atmospheric collection that ranges widely across folk and Celtic music to classical song and even opera.

Sounding as pure voiced as she did in her debut CD, Westenra’s eclectic release will deservedly be popular. There are ethereal orchestrations that cushion Westenra’s voice beautifully and tasteful arrangements of standards that never sound overblown or treacly.

‘Shenandoah’ is particularly lovely, as is ‘The Last Rose of Summer’ sung as a duet with Méav. Treat yourself!

Bruce Raggatt (BR) is from Readings Hawthorn, Malvern & Port Melbourne.

EVENT: Hayley Westenra will be appearing at Readings Hawthorn on Tuesday 1 May at 6.30pm.
She will be singing from her latest album and signing CDs. This event is free, but please RSVP to the Hawthorn store on 9819 1917.

[milewalker]

postscript said:

It is obvious that many critics are allowing their own musical preferences to over-ride a certain objectivity.

My apologies for the major rewrite...upon coming home from work and actually reading the entire thread, I realized I had missed a nuance or four.

In general I do take many reviews seriously even when I disagree with them. Normally such bias as there is is pretty clear. Some reviewers, like number 7 above, would probably much rather be listening to Limp Bizkit, and can be more or less safely ignored. Still, I would much rather see bad and misguided reviews than no reviews at all.

I also dont take the reviews which come from commericial music sites (like the Amazon reviews, and several others above) too seriously either. They are generally biased favorably because they are trying to sell the record. Having said this, they do feature the critics perception of the strenghts of the artist - and that can be useful information.

The most interesting (to me) type comprises most of the others listed above, which range from grudging praise to being almost "Hayleywowed" - but at least they are making an honest effort to be fair. These often contain real information. As I am fond of saying, Hayley is releasing a CD to the world - not just the 150 people or so who haunt these forums. If an album is doing well, you might get a real hint as to why - and if it isnt you might be able to gain insight into that as well

The interesting thing about this type of review in Hayley's case is that it often seems to correspond very well with the opinions of most of my friends, as well as my wife when I share Hayley with them. I cant tell you how many times I have heard people tell me that she is a beautiful girl with a nice voice - who is too consistantly serene in her music choice for them to actually like. I dont exactly agree, but I do see their point - I did note it as a potential drawback in my own Amazon review. Perhaps this more than anything else is why I tend to take this kind of review more seriously.

Jon

PS - Peter, I thought I detected some "strain" more than once myself. However, I did not detect it in "Summer Fly" which I thought she was actually surprisingly comfortable with. I do find it very interesting that this song in particular seems to have caught some of their fancies. "Controversy", when properly handled and controlled isnt necessarily a bad thing.

[Richard]

Wow!

This looks an interesting thread. I haven't read it thoroughly yet or I won't get my morning coffee, but I'll try and spend half an hour on it this afternoon. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Best Wishes,

Richard