Luna Rossa is the new acoustic singer-songwriter styled project by Jonathan Edwards and Anne-Marie Helder. Their debut release in June 2013 is an eleven-track collection entitled Sleeping Pills & Lullabies. Listeners will be enthralled with the sound that has been created by combining Anne-Marie's vocals with piano and string-based arrangements. The duo's musical paths crossed initially in the British band Karnataka. A studio recording, long run of live dates, and live album memorialized that period. With two others from Karnataka, Edwards and Helder formed Panic Room, a modern rock band whose three outstanding studio albums and live performances around Britain have achieved significant acclaim. Despite the musicians' busy schedules with Panic Room and their other projects, Jonathan and Anne-Marie wrote and recorded the Luna Rossa material. In addition to the vocal work, Anne-Marie Helder and Jonathan Edwards play acoustic guitar, autoharp, celeste sample, flute, grand piano, harp, organ, rhodes, and wine glass samples. Contributing artists are: Andy Coughlan (double bass); Leah Evans (cello); Tim Hamill (dobro, electric guitar and rhythm programming); and The Luna Rossa Quartet who are: Artem Kotov (violin); Rebecca Brown (violin); Ronan MacManus (viola); and Leah Evans (cello). The string arrangements that span the album were written by Anne-Marie Helder and Jonathan Edwards. Sleeping Pills & Lullabies showcases Anne-Marie's vocal work, the duo's songwriting and fabulous arrangements. In addition to singing all the lead parts, many of the album's tracks include layers of Anne-Marie's backing harmonies and vocalise. The singer-songwriter style that spans the album sharply contrasts the artists former or current band work, clearly illustrating their musical breadth and maturity. While some may draw comparisons to the singer's solo work, the Luna Rossa material has deep, throughtful and extremely well produced arrangements that feature tender piano melodies, warm string washes and, in some of the tracks, well-played acoustic guitar passages. The string section has added significantly to the overall sound of the album. While the album works well as a whole, several tracks stand out over the others. "Scream At The Sky" has an especially great dynamic range that develops through the song's length. While power of "Fight Or Flight" is created with light percussion, the rich string arrangements and Anne-Marie's soaring vocal parts contribute an airborne component to the mix. The sparseness of the brief track "Cloud" provides a unique insight into Anne-Marie's piano prowess and a close-up of her British voice. It perfectly serves up the album's final dramatically delivered "Gasp," that will certainly leave listeners longing for more. Review by "Russell W. Elliot" (www.musicaldiscoveries.com).
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