This new album has created quite a buzz. It covers some of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s most iconic pieces for symphony orchestra, featuring her three greatest hits Groovejet (by Italian DJ Spiller in 2000), Take Me Home (a cover of a Cher song from 2001) and, of course, the unmistakable Murder on the Dancefloor (2001), whose delightful flamenco rhythms are an added bonus for the listener on top of the incredible string ensemble. The album then unfurls smoothly track after track, providing a rather moving flashback in the long career of the English singer with a porcelain complexion. It captures the depth of Young Blood (whose charming hook in the intro on piano is replaced by strings and clarinet), the cinematic lyricism of Heartbreak and also includes a rendition of her waltz tune Love Is a Camera.
Admittedly, the orchestra plays in a very classical rather than daring way, but the huge contrast between some of these versions and the original dance pieces certainly makes for an intriguing listen. As an added bonus, Take Me Home and Murder on the Dancefloor have each been revamped in a combination of styles as the sound of the orchestra is mixed with a disco rhythm, and staying within the disco theme, The Song Diaries also includes the singer’s recent track Love Is You (2018) which brings The Love Boat to mind. © Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz