A favourite returns with a tribute to her first love: dance.
Rachael Sage is a favourite of so many, and there is a clear reason why. Her music speaks to you in a way that is so rare. Choreographic is Sage’s latest album and focuses on her first love: dance.
Sage has envisaged each of the tracks on the album as fully-choreographed multimedia experiences with various videos to come in the future.
Hooking in with the piano riff of the first track Heaven, Sage delivers a tune that dances through the bars and drives her vocals. The constant of the piano riff has you begging for more by the time the last bar is played. The orchestral elements build and continue in Loreena, backed by the piano and lead by the powerful strings section. This is nicely contrasted with the likes of Try Try Try, which has a distinctive pop focus and a dash of folk fiddle.
Describing her definition of dance, Sage says there is only one word for it: freedom.
“We’re in a moment where we realise how precious creative freedom is, and what a gift it is to be able to share it with each other, across all borders and boundaries.” This resonates in a world where, at times, freedom in its many shapes and forms can feel elusive.
Perhaps fuelling this further for Sage is the fact that she was working on this album and touring in Paris at the time of the terrorist attacks. She says that incident and her proximity to it gave her a renewed sense of direction and focus in completing this album.
That focus can be heard throughout the album, and especially on Clear Today, in which she sings about the distress of leaving a once great love – “Even though I love you, it’s just not enough,” she sings. Her lament is powerful, and the melody gives a sense of whimsy to the piece.
Produced by Sage and Grammy award winning producer Andy Zulla (Indina Menzel and Rod Stewart), this album balances piano with chamber pop and orchestral elements to give us some memorable and addictive melodies. Set for release on 20 May, this is another solid offering from Sage.