Beautiful Mess is the ninth studio album by the British pop group Swing Out Sister, originally released in 2008. It was produced by group member Andy Connell, who has been with Swing Out Sister since its inception.
Release The album was initially released in Japan in February 2008 on Avex Trax, then issued in the United Kingdom later in the year. Beautiful Mess was released in the United States in May 2009, distributed by the Shanachie Records label. The album reached number five on the US Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.[ Album details and chart performance] Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
Musicians Since the group's second album, Kaleidoscope World, Swing Out Sister has consisted primarily of Andy Connell and Corinne Drewery. Both reprise familiar roles on this album, with Drewery on lead and backing vocals and Connell contributing musical arrangements. In addition, Connell produced this album, his first for the group, replacing longtime producer and collaborator Paul Staveley O'Duffy. Additional musicians include Tim Cansfield on guitar, Jody Linscott on percussion and Gina Foster and the Champagnettes on backing vocals.Beautiful Mess album credits SwingOutSister.com. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
Critical reception
Beautiful Mess has received generally favorable reviews from music critics and journalists. AllMusic gave the album four stars out of a possible five. Daryl Easlea of the BBC reviewed the album soon after its British release in September 2008 and described the music as "(s)weet, time-warped; unmistakeable; with their brand of London Embankment sunrises and cocktail party sunsets, it's so very Swing Out Sister". The reviewer continued that "Swing Out Sister could still give Adele, Duffy and all the latest crop a spin in their soft top for their money.""It's like a Bentley arriving on a parking lot full of Renault Lagunas" Review by Daryl Easlea, 5 September 2008, BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 2 June 2009. Elysa Gardner of USA Today chose "Time Tracks You Down" as one of her ten most intriguing tracks for the week on 18 May 2009, stating that "(r)etro-soul doesn't get much smoother or sweeter than this...""Pick of week: Easy to Be Hard, Caissie Levy" Review by Elysa Gardner, 18 May 2009, USAToday.com. Retrieved 2 June 2009. Music critic Mario Tarradell of the Dallas Morning News gave the album an "A" rating, describing it as "exquisite" and stating that the group "continue to make gorgeously lush and rhythmically jazzy albums whether stateside audiences care or not.""CD review: British duo Swing Out Sister is underappreciated in America" Review by Mario Tarradell, 18 May 2009, DallasNews.com. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
Track listing "Something Every Day" (Andy Connell, Corinne Drewery, Gina Foster) – 4:28 "Time Tracks You Down" (Connell, Drewery) – 3:56 "Butterfly" (Connell, Drewery, Foster) – 4:41 "My State of Mind" (Connell, Drewery, Foster) – 4:27 "I'd Be Happy" (Connell, Drewery) – 3:43 "Butterfly Lullaby (Connell, Drewery) – 3:48 "Secret Love (You're Invisible)" (Hajime Uchiyama, Drewery) – 4:26 "All I Say, All I Do" (Connell, Drewery) – 4:26 "Out There" (Connell, Drewery) – 4:30 "Beautiful Mess" (Connell, Drewery) – 4:09 "Butterfly" (Little Wizard Mix) (Connell, Drewery, Foster) – 3:28 "Something Every Day" (Little Wizard Mix) (Connell, Drewery, Foster) – 4:25
Personnel Swing Out Sister Corinne Drewery – lead vocals Andy Connell – instruments, all musical arrangements
Additional musicians Tim Cansfield – guitars Myke Wilson – drums, vocals Jody Linscott – percussion Gersende Giorgio – vocals Gina Foster – additional vocals The Champagnettes – additional vocals
Production Andy Connell – producer, recording, mixing David Millward – mastering James Martin – photography Yoshiaki Kayaki – sleeve design Jamie Spencer – management
References
External links Beautiful Mess Japan CD release info from discogs.com