The
King's Singers point out in their commentary on this 2008 release that their activities over the previous few years had tended toward the classical side of the classical-popular divide. Whether intentionally or not, these virtuoso male a cappella singers returned to vernacular material with a disc unusual even by their adventurous standards. It is not just the mixture of contemporary pop tunes with traditional ballads to which they point in the notes. They've done that before, and it's not a shock to hear the disc open with
Billy Joel and
James Taylor. They're quite right, moreover, to point out that a tune like
Sting's "Valparaiso" has clear links with the long tradition of English song; hardly surprising in
Sting's case. No, the real surprises come when traditional religious songs are introduced into the mix and when the arrangements tread right up to the edge of what can be done without losing the flavor of the original. The
King's Singers' trademark doo-wop style accompaniments are heavily in evidence here, artfully alterated with solo passages in the pop ballads. They're deployed in some pretty wild ways: the square melody of "The Gift to Be Simple" can barely stand a syncopated,
Manhattan Transfer-style accompaniment. Several African-American spirituals are treated with similar flair. Confirmed
King's Singers fans will eat it up, but to many American ears these arrangements, mostly by
Peter Lawson and
Bob Chilcott, are likely to sound too precious. One wishes for a moment of simplicity from the group in a tune like "The Water Is Wide," but one is soon diverted into refined chromatic realms. The end result, one can be assured, is absolutely never boring. Moreover, there is plenty of the sprightly, just-shy-of-flamboyant music and really crack harmony singing that has made the
King's Singers rightly famous. They bring the disc home with a lovely new version of "You Are the New Day," a tune they have pretty much singlehandedly made into a worldwide choral smash. In short, this is a disc to appeal to
King's Singers fans even if it will be pretty far out on the edge to listeners new to the ensemble.