BLUE CREDENTIALS | Album Reviews

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Guided by the legendary Dennis Walker and with bassist Richard Cousins on board beefing up the Robert Cray connections, Norfolk’s Malaya Blue has recorded her most significant album to date. The sassily sung “Another grey morning and you stumble in”, on the opening track Your Act Has Worn Thin, reveals Malaya laying down her credentials as a blues performer of note. Wrong Kind Of Love backs this up with funky blues guitar and Hammond keyboard intermingling on this deep groove track. 

Malaya recently told us: “Dennis has sadly since passed and part of the eulogy that his wife wrote was to say help another musician. So, I think when he got the album, which I’m sure was one of many that he received over the course of a year, I think he heard something that he thought had potential and I was the lucky pick out of the hat. I was the one that he decided: I think I can work with this artist” 

Taking the tempo down on the mid-album track, Oh, What A Fool, showcases Malaya’s vocal range on this heartache ballad and especially on I Can’t Find No Love’s slow-burning blues. The Time We Had further raises the blues balladry up a notch and is complimented by Curious and I’m Having Dreams. Proving that she can belt out a blues wail, the steely blues edge to Good Intentions, Bad Results and the swampy feel to Bring Me Your Sin also finds Brett Lucas letting loose on guitar to crank up a blues rock belter. However, the best is saved to almost the last as the pleading penultimate track Howlin’ Mercy finds Malaya baring her soul before the final track Messin’ Around ends this skilful album on a fun high note. On Blue Credentials, Malaya Blue is in very fine voice and is maturing as a blues artist. 

‘Blue Credentials,’ the new Malaya Blue album, is the follow up to the critically acclaimed ‘Still,’ and as the title suggests finds the outstanding UK vocalist delving ever deeper into her blues heart. 

It’s certainly her most guitar driven album to date. The fruitful collaboration with legendary blues writer and producer Dennis Walker (R.I.P.) is again at its core but this time with a world class band in the studio and writing contributions from Joey Delgado, Hank Linderman and Brett Lucas. 

The long lost, and some said mythical, John Campbell track, “Howlin’ Mercy,” finally sees the light of day 30 plus years after Dennis wrote it and Elektra chickened out of releasing it. 

Malaya doesn’t shirk from the heavy dark content, showing her increasing maturity as an artist of the highest order. Richard Cousins, Brett Lucas, John McCullough and Sam Kelly gathered from around the globe to lend their talents and experience and Malaya recorded every vocal live with the band, no overdubs or studio trickery. Sadly, Dennis passed to the great juke joint in the sky, but not before he had heard what would prove to be the last record he was involved with and gave it a big seal of approval. The bar has been well and truly raised. 

TRACK COMMENTARY FROM MALAYA BLUE:
01. Your Act Has Worn Thin (2:56) – Letting that lover know enough is enough, you’re done and won’t be a fool to love any longer. 

02. Wrong Kinda Love (3:40) – Yes! Doing it again, picking the wrong lover and the wrong time again! Funky rocky track. 

03. Oh, What A Fool (3:50) – The thrill of finding new love and the happiness to be a fool in its presence. Sexy, jazzy, ballad. 

04. I Can’t Find No Love (4:47) – The emptiness that occurs when the love leaves the relationship, and although it hasn’t been said, you know it is gone. A ballad to release the tears. 

05. The Time We Had (6:11) – Acknowledging the past and the present, the movement of life, the value of now and celebrating the good times in loss. A moving ballad. 

06. Curious (3:12) – The expectations in love that another brings! I’m Curious, What did YOU think love was about? Funky Up-tempo track. 

07. I’m Having Dreams Again (3:40) – Just when you think you are over that lover, they pop back into you head and heart through your dreams and the pain comes with it. A wistful mid-tempo track. 

08. Good Intentions, Bad Results (5:29) – Ahhh, how we try, all the best intentions but falling flat on our face! A funky up-tempo track for that moment of realisation! 

09. Bring Me Your Sin (4:02) – Wanting the love of a bad man and being willing to pay the price! Rocky and mean… 

10. Set Me Free (3:58) – The chains that keep us with a cold heart begs to be undone, dark and moody rock track. 

11. Howlin’ Mercy (5:11)- A dark song the reflects the long-lasting trauma of abuse, difficult to hear, difficult to sing, sadly amongst us. Haunting and dark. 

12. Messin’ Around (4:46) – Funky and upbeat, a song about the child in us all, letting go and messin’ around! 

British blues singer Malaya Blue is rapidly becoming noticed in the Blues World.  Her debut album, Bourbon Street, garnered four nominations for 2015 British Blues Association Awards. Her 2016 CD Heartsick came shortly thereafter and her star rose further. Her next effort was Still which was produced by three-time Grammy-winning producer Dennis Walker. Walker also collaborated on this album and unfortunately passed away three weeks after the tracks were laid down.  His work Robert Cray, BB King and other legends ensures his legacy as an outstanding producer, and his work with Malaya was also certainly noteworthy. 

Appearing on this album with Malaya on this album are Brett Lucas (noteworthy guitarist from Detroit who also plays with Thornetta Davis and Jeremy Spencer of Fleetwood Mac) on guitars and percussion, Richard Cousins (founding member of Robert Cray’s band) on bass, John McCollough (Irish organ and keyboard legend who leads Sinead O’Connor’s band and has played with Van Morrison and many others) on Hammond and keys, Sam Kelly (famed UK drummer who has worked with many including Robert Plant, and Gary Moore) on drums and percussion, and Chris Rand (who performed with Stones members Charlie watts, Ronnie Woods and Mick Taylor) on saxophones. The tracks were laid down live with no overdubs or manipulation in the studio. 

Malaya opens with the first of these all-original cuts, “Your Act Has Worn Thin,” a slick song with a stinging guitar solo and impassioned vocal work by Blue. “Wrong Kinda Love” follows with a funky groove, pretty Hammond work and a great delivery by Malaya. Next is “Oh, What A Fool” where Malaya gives us a sultry ballad with some great sax behind her along with some pretty piano and organ work. The cut concludes with a big finish which further showcases Blue’s talents. 

“I Can’t Find No Love” is another cool blues ballad with some guitar punctuating the passionate performance nicely along with a restrained solo that adds well to the song. She follows that with “The Time We Had,” another slower number delivered with great feeling. Piano, Hammond organ and vocals build in intensity throughout the cut before Malaya takes us home with a sexy conclusion. “Curious” has a little bit of a jazzy, Latin feel to it as Malaya sings with a breathy intensity. Organ, baritone sax and some good percussion help make this special. 

“I’m Having Dreams Again” is another great ballad where Malaya displays her vocal prowess. Guitar, organ and saxophone again are standouts in this performance. “Good Intentions, Bad Results” has a cool bass and guitar groove that gets the body moving to the sound. Blue gives another sultry performance as the song flows and throbs seductively. Blue sings of a relationship that had the makings of working out but failed dues to her partner’s efforts. The guitar again stings sweetly here. Then we have “Bring Me Your Sin” where the dobro sets the down-home mood for the listener and then Malaya breaks out into a driving and very cool cut with electric guitar in full support. 

The tempo slows a bit for “Set Me Free,” another pretty and emotive ballad with some more strident guitar support. “Howlin’ Mercy” begins as a simple acoustic guitar and vocal duet and stays that way for about four minutes until the rest of the band appears and Malaya shift gears for a rousing final concluding minute. “Messin’ Around” is the final track, a bouncy and lively cut about just what the title states. Some final guitar soloing is featured here along with some more great piano and Hammond work. 

Malaya Blue is a superb chanteuse whose vocals range from sexy and sultry to powerhouse, in your face stuff. She’s a talent vocalist and has a superb band supporting her.  This album is a fine fourth addition to her body of work and it resonates with the fine vocals and musicianship throughout. This is one helluva good album! 

A distinctive alto based out of Norwich, England, Malaya Blue hit high notes in 2020 when she teamed with former Robert Cray producer/tunesmith Dennis Walker and charted high with the CD Still. Sadly, he left us in 2022 -- but not before teaming with Malaya once again and putting the finishing touches on one final gift for blues lovers everywhere.

Dennis had a hand in writing seven of the 12 unhurried pleasers here along with former IBC winner Joey Delgado. The lineup includes Brett Lucas (Bettye LaVette) on guitar, John McCullough (Van Morrison) on keys, Richard Cousins (Cray) on bass and Sam Kelly (Gary Moore) on drums.

Torch songs abound throughout. Give a listen to “Your Act Has Worn Thin,” “Wrong Kinda Love,” “Oh What a Fool,” “I Can’t Find No Love,” “Curious,” “I’m Having Dreams Again,” “Bring Me Your Sin,” “Howlin’ Mercy” and “Messin’ Around.”

 Malaya Blue is complicated.
She has a voice that is satin smooth, velvet deep and flexible – able to sing soul, Blues, rock & roll and all with a sense of ease that is remarkable. And yet … she isn’t any of those things and it took me a lot of listening to this album to even decide if I liked it or not (shock – I did). But with every listen I got a slightly better understanding of her as a singer and there are a few tracks on here that rank with anything I’ve heard this year or last.

She has surrounded herself with Grammy winners and top session musicians but isn’t overwhelmed by them – the focus is on her voice and that is as it should be.

Right out with the title track. It is a gorgeous piece of jazz-tinged soul with her voice front and centre, the whole number hinged on her vocal performance and in particular on one uttering of the word “Still” that hangs in the air and makes it impossible to ignore the purity and the sheer heart in her voice. That leads into a funkier number ‘Down To The Bone’ where she opens it with a grunt so raunchy and sex-ridden that I couldn’t believe it was the same vocalist and carries on with a really Bluesy performance that shows an entirely different Malaya Blue. My personal favourite number is the pure gospel/soul of ‘Why Is Peace So Hard’ where her vocal is exquisitely painful (in a good way).

And it goes on all through the album. She seemingly switches between Aretha, Minny Ripperton, Maria Muldaur as easily as tapping her fingers and it is all natural, all within her incredible vocal range. There are a couple of points where she doesn’t quite hit the earthiness that the song needs but in the main she is spot on.

I think she is a great singer and this album, in the main, confirms that she is at the top of the game – quite stunning.  4/5

   Rising UK blues singer-songwriter Malaya Blue caught the attention of Grammy-winning writer Dennis Walker in the past couple of years. You remember Walker from his collaborations with Robert Cray, where Walker won Grammys for Strong Persuader and Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. Walker also won one for his work on B.B. King’s Blues Summit and has worked with Bettye LaVette. Malaya is the first UK artist to work with him. Blue and Walker have been co-writing over the past couple of years and we now have their strong results on Still, the third release for Blue who has already received several nominations and awards in her homeland. Even Cray mainstay, bassist Richard Cousins, contributes and plays on the title track which was originally intended for a Cray album but never made it to wax. Be assured that although there are some blues on the album, there’s more neo-soul and R&B. The versatile vocalist can belt them out with the best and has amazing range but veers toward a smooth, not a gritty delivery. Yet, she’s a force in any of these genres, poised to break out beyond just her home environs with Still.

The pair brought together the best musicians they could tap from the UK music scene, forming a backing quartet for the album divided into two sides – “Still Side” (R&B, neo-soul) and “Blue Side.”( a mix). Not only did Cousins pitch in for a track but Brett Lucas, Bettye LaVette’s long time guitarist, contributed music for “Down to the Bottom and “These Four Walls” on the “Blue Side.” Suffice it to say, serious talent abounds. 

Following the emotionally laden opening title track, the clavinet ushers in the funky workout of “Down to the Bone.” “It’s a Shame” is a series of pumped-up R&B choruses that disguise the tale of a relationship gone south, regaining the confidence to conquer heartbreak in the ebullient “Love Can Tell.” The mournful gospel-infused blues, replete with church sounding B3,  of “Why Is Peace So Hard?” represent perhaps her most stirring vocal on an album filled with them, as she expresses the pain of a mother who has lost a son – “She watched at the airport/as his plane came in/At last, she thought../his war is at an end/Then she saw his coffin/Flag draped down its sides/She fell on her knees and she/cried why? Why? Why?” For balance, needed romantic bliss follows in the piano-vocal duet “Love Can Tell,” with Blue sensually cooing the vocal.  

As the “Blue Side” opens Blue takes on the blues belter approach for “Kiss my Troubles Away,” against a blues-rock backing. Yet, instead of following with blues, she turns to the well-worn breakup to makeup in the R&B styled “Settle Down Easy,” layering in her background vocals as she does on several tracks. Then she turns sultry once again, enraptured in the bliss of love on the neo-soul “Down to the Bottom.” In this well-paced album, drummer Mike Horne sets up the pulsating “These Four Walls, “yet another strong showing for organist Stevie Watts and another wailer for Blue. Watts takes the piano again for another ballad, “I Can’t Be Loved,” one of the six tunes not co-written with Walker. The closer is almost a bookend to the side opener blues-rocker as Blue struts her defiant stuff, yet despite its high energy, it is one of the weaker tracks due to its cliché-filled riffs. 

Malaya Blue displays immense vocal talent and some emerging skill as a songwriter. To this writer,” blues singer” miscasts her somewhat. Even though she can render a blues song with aplomb, it’s her R&B, neo-soul cuts that seem to bring out her best talent.

   Anyone who thought, or was worried, that UK blues-soul diva Malaya Blue may have retired early can relax again. Here she is, still roaring along full-tilt, with her ever-full-on vocal delivery and shades of blues, rock, soul and jazz rippling along in her wake. With ‘Still,’ her latest offering, Blue brings a sure-fire touch with both vocals and song-writing qualities that can only add to her growing appeal and international acclaim. 

Malaya Blue has taken some time out to literally race through a heavy higher-education programme resulting in a doctorate being awarded, before returning to the studio to deliver this remarkable, rounded twelve-track release. With production duties managed by the legendary US producer, Denis Walker, and supported by Robert Cray’s right-hand man, bassist and writer Richard Cousins, the resulting quality of the album could seldom ever be in doubt. Other musicians featuring include the UK blues-keys master, Stevie Watts, very much the go-to-guy for tasteful keyboard work in the European blues arena.

The title track is a searing piece, with Blue’s voice never missing a beat, heart-wrenchingly touching and demanding while her song-writing skills also take a centre-stage slot. Anyone who loved her previous offerings, ‘Bourbon Street’ in 2014 followed by the genuinely wonderful, ‘Heartbreak’ a few years later, in 2016, will maybe find this latest release more rounded and subtle with some sensitive, strong ballads pulsing through the mix more than we’re used to. But that’s no bad thing here. With a voice as good as this, almost anything’s possible.

  If you’re a fan of The Voice you’ll certainly have seen a blind audition where the coaches hear such a stunning vocal performance that not only do all four of them turn, but they fight tooth and nail for the honor of being chosen by the singer as their coach.  Malaya Blue has that kind of a voice.

“Still” is the third release for UK based contemporary blues singer/songwriter Malaya Blue.  For the project: from collaborating on songwriting, to seeking advice and input, Malaya Blue teamed up with several Grammy Award winning artists and some of the finest musicians from the UK.  Joining Malaya, on all vocals, are: Nat Martin on all guitars; Stevie Watts on Hammond, keys and piano; Mike Horne on drums and percussion; and Eddie Masters on bass.  Special guests include Richard Cousins (Robert Cray Band) on bass and Sammie Ashforth on piano.

On “Still”, as a special advisor and collaborator, Malaya Blue turned to a gentleman that if I’m not careful, I could easily get sidetracked talking too much about.  That would be none other than Grammy winner, BMA winner, songwriter, musician and producer extraordinaire – Dennis Walker.  Attempting to simulate an LP, the disc presents its songs in a two side fashion with the “Still Side” featuring six songs lending themselves to soulful R&B and the “Blue Side” featuring six songs that……yeah, you get it.  From a collaborations standpoint, all twelve are originals.

The title track, “Still”, was a song originally slated for a Robert Cray project and since it never did get recorded, bassist and composer Richard Cousins donated it to the cause.  It’s an emotional and soulful ballad that features Richard (on his only appearance) and Mike laying down a refined, then rich rhythm; fabulous piano, organ, and guitar highlights by Stevie and Nat; and a stunning vocal performance by Malaya that will have you thinking “that’s what he was talking about in the opening paragraph”.  Wow!

With drummer Mike Horne taking charge on another great rhythm-fueled track and guitarist Nat Martin shining as well, there are indeed some magical musical moments on “It’s A Shame”.  That said, Malaya has her own wizardly things going on with the vocals.  Between her lead and her own harmony and backup vocals she belts out one heck of a remarkable vocal performance.  Replays will certainly be in order on this one.

Being someone who tends to get emotional when hearing of someone losing their life in war, the lyrics on “Why Is Peace So Hard”, combined with the powerfully emotional and melancholic vocals used by Malaya to deliver them, did indeed tear me up.  The song, or more appropriately – the hymn, tells of a mother proudly seeing her son walk out the door as he left for war till the time she sees him return…..with a flag draped over his coffin as it comes off of a plane.  The spirituality that Stevie Watts adds to the song with a masterful and mystical performance on the Hammond organ truly makes it worthy of being played at a mass for a fallen soldier.  Easily worthy of a “Song Of The Year” nod, as well. 

This is a perfect time for me to flip the record over to the ‘Blue Side’, while also taking a minute to compose myself…. phew!

Side two, so to speak, kicks off with a smoker called “Kiss My Troubles Away”.  It’s kind of like a modern day “Working Nine To Five” song.  For Malaya, there is nothing like coming home from a stressful day at work, tossing her keys on the counter, kicking her shoes off onto to floor, leaving a trail of her office clothes on the stairs behind her and happily seeing the person who kisses her troubles away.  How cool of a compliment is that? Being told you kiss my troubles away.  If she didn’t read my reviews, I’d actually try stealing that line and using it on the Blewzzlady.  In a dual role, Malaya is once again blowing the roof off with her powerful lead and back up vocals and crazy good rhythm Stevie, Mike and Eddie are blowing out on the keys, drums and bass will surely have everyone heading to the dance floor.       

On a song about losing and then finding love again, as Malaya sees it, falling “Down To The Bottom” is merely something that happens before going back up to the top.  Sounding as confident as she does sultry, Malaya is sure she’ll once again find love.  That’ a great attitude, inspiration and advice.  Musically, the track has a velvety jazz lounge vibe.

On his only appearance, pianist Sammie Ashforth teams up with Malaya on a ballad so beautifully done that I imagined I was hearing the duet it in a Broadway production or a Carnegie Hall performance in which the audience sits there with their jaws dropped, amid a silence, allowing a dropped pin to be heard.

Other tracks on “Still” include: “Down To The Bone”; “Love Can Tell”; “Love Of Your Life”; “Settle Down Easy”; “These Four Walls”; and “Hot Love”. 

Having been nominated for a handful of awards by the British Blues Association just a few short years ago, and now having the likes of Dennis Walker, Betsie Brown and Sallie Bengston in her corner, Malaya Blue seems poised to possibly add some American Blues award nominations to her credentials.  Remember where you first heard it.  

 Peter “Blewzzman” Lauro 

    British-based and honey-voiced vocalist Malaya Blue delivers an old-school take on recording with this one, producing a “two-sided” CD that features distinctly different, six-tune sets – opening, as the title suggests, with a half-dozen introspective numbers before heating things up with a fiery run of uptempo blues.

A melismatic soprano with an exceptional, behind-the-beat delivery, Malaya exploded on the UK music scene in 2015 with the release of Bourbon Street, an album that led to bookings at the highly respected Colne and Birmingham International blues festivals, four nominations in the British Blues Awards and an invitation to be a finalist in the British Blues Challenge.

She followed it up in 2016 with Heartsick, which featured a guest appearance from British blues harmonica giant Paul Jones and earned airplay across the English speaking world, Japan and South America, too. Since 2018, she refrained from touring to finish her college education and polish up her songwriting skills under the direction of producer Dennis Walker, a double Grammy winner for his work on Robert Cray’s Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark and Strong Persuader and another for B.B. King’s Blues Summit.

Still was recorded, mixed and mastered at Ashwood Studios in Norwich, England, under the direction of Sotos Yiasimi and with Walker advising. Blue penned 11 of the 12 cuts here, six in partnership with Walker. The only song she didn’t write is the title cut. The lineup includes Nat Martin on guitar, Stevie Watts on keys, Mike Horne on percussion and Eddie Masters on bass with Sammie Ashforth also sitting in on piano for one number.

The opener, “Still,” was written by Cray’s former longtime bassist, Richard Cousins, who sits in on the bottom for the arrangement as Malaya simmers while reflecting on the good memories in a relationship that’s gone bad. The theme continues in the funky “Down to the Bone,” a slow-and-steady shuffle in which she notes that her loneliness is so strong that two or three drinks won’t be enough.

Malaya’s in love and “got a need for pleasing in “It’s a Shame.” Unfortunately, the man doesn’t care. The feeling of heartbreak continues in the funky, mid-tempo shuffle “Love Can Tell” before the theme shifts dramatically in “Why Is Peace So Hard?” It’s the tragic story sung from the first person of a son returning from war and his mother going to the airport to receive his coffin. The first-side sorrow comes to an end with the upbeat “Love of Your Life,” a sweet, quiet ballad for which Blue is accompanied minimally by Watts on piano.

“Kiss My Troubles Away” announces the mood change in dramatic fashion – a propulsive, stop-time shuffle that’s delivered from the position of a woman returning home from work after a hard day to the loving arms of her man. “Settle Down Easy” slows the action as it puts a different spin on the theme. This time, Malaya’s unpacking after reuniting after a breakup and assuring her guy that they can both relax and settle in. The love theme runs strong in “Down to the Bottom” before heartache returns when Blue’s all alone again after another split in “These Four Walls.” Another song of regret, “I Can’t Be Loved,” follows before things brighten dramatically with “Hot Love” to end.

Do yourself a favor and give this one a listen. Walker probably won’t win a Grammy for this one, but the musicianship is just as good. And Malaya’s songwriting skills and vocal chops are top notch.

 With a name like Malaya Blue, you’d be forgiven for imagining an exotic bird of paradise…in fact, you’d be spot on in my opinion as she brings that ethereal nature to life and once again entrances on her latest album, Still.

Having taken a break in 2018 after two successful albums, Malaya bravely went about honing her songwriting craft with the help of Dennis Walker and this is the result…an album of blues with infusions of rhythm and blues with a helping of soul to provide an album of two definite sides: the still side and the blue side; we just have to imagine that this is good old fashioned vinyl to appreciate the nomenclature...unless, of course you have still got the turntable wired to the amp and speakers like me and avoid downloads and streaming as much as possible. I pause here to mention again that I always buy direct from the artist when possible and the physical product always…the amount an artist gets paid for the digital stuff (particularly streaming) is lamentable and I want these artists to be able to afford to go on producing music…rant over, on to the music.

Opening and title track Still is the only song Malaya didn’t have a hand in writing; instead, Richard Cousins gave her a track that had been destined for a Robert Cray album…good news for us as, with Richard on bass, it is given a brighter, layered sound that befits this soulful ballad. A real sentimental lyric is given the emotion it deserves by Malaya as the band show how they instinctively add the aforementioned layers…the guitar solo is carefully crafted to fit. Down to the Bone is funky courtesy of the sharp chords and clavinet. The guitar also adds colour with careful phrases behind the lyrics and then a truly imaginative solo to back up the sensitive vocals. It’s A Shame is next and we get Malaya’s full-on performance as lead, harmony and backing vocals show her remarkable range and passion. It seems a bit poppy at first but the musicianship is of the highest order and subsequent listens makes it a rather clever soulful blues of quality. Another thoughtful guitar solo lifts it too if it is a bit short for me; although it continues behind the vocal to the fade, so make sure you listen!

Love Can Tell is back to the funk but with delicious Hammond fuelling the whole thing making so infectious and the Stevie Salas like strummed guitar heralds a lovely Hammond solo too. A move to gospel/country based blues feed into the heartbreaking lyrics and superb vocal delivery as Malaya pours the passion into Why Is peace So Hard? Further, praise for the band as they all back this so empathetically and the Hammond again delivers a lovely solo. Love Of Your Life concludes the ‘still side’ with piano and a vocal duet that romantic falls short as a way of describing lyrical and vocal content.

The ‘blue side’ starts with a blues/rock/soul song that has hints of a well known country chanteuse in the verse’s melody…whatever, it has the variation and a rollicking piano solo that makes it unique. Settle Down Easy shifts into R’n’B with added ‘B’ in the clever phrasing of another strong vocal and, especially, in the psychic bass and drums that you need to listen out for. A move into the laid back jazzy, smoky (in every sense) take on the blues runs through Down To The Bottom. The jazz feel is further enhanced by a clever, double guitar solo as Nat switches pickups midway through a nice (too short) solo. These four walls starts with some neat snare work, then guitar to lead nicely to the vocal melodies that captivate. Penultimate song, I Can’t Be Loved, is Malaya and piano again…and again, even if this isn’t my normal fare, there is no disputing this ballad grabs you through the sheer passion that pours out of the speakers.

The final track, Hot Love, is a lot rockier than the last one and closes a very strong album with a complex, multi-layered song that has a catchiness that cannot be ignored…not an earworm: this is aural sex! This album is, I think, Malaya’s best yet…and that’s saying something. It has enough blues to satisfy most and so much variation that, regardless of preferred genre, it deserves repeated listens so that the lyrics, the vocals and a very high-quality band can be truly appreciated.

Blues Doodles Rating | A Wonderful album of depth, variety and musicianship that transcends genre definitions and deserves recognition. 

     There were a lot of expectations from the European Music Press, about the brand new album from the British singer/songwriter Malaya Blue, an artist that had very much impressed our website with her second album Heartsick, released back in 2016.

During the last 4 years, the artist from Norwich has been non-stop touring the whole United Kingdom from North to South and making herself well-known also in many parts of Europe, thanks to her many artistic talents and the curiosity from old and new music fans that the 2016 album had sparkled.

For Blue's brand new record, called Still and recently released, the singer/songwriter has raised her game on many levels, by having, first and foremost, coupled on the song-writing for Blue’s new album with Grammy Award Winner Dennis Walker, one of the most respected songwriters around, who has achieved world popularity throughout the years, besides his many collaborations with the elite of the music business, also by working with the one and only Robert Cray on albums like Strong Persuader and Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark.

Surrounded also by a group of first class studio musicians, the release of the Still album sees an artist that has grown up not only under a song-writing aspect but also and most impressively, as a singer, showing an outstanding vocal range, especially on tunes like I Can’t Be Loved, Love Of Your Life and Why Is Peace So Hard?, among many others.

A record that shows also an exquisite attention in the quality of each of the songs included in the album’s arrangements, Still is a body of work that entertains the listener track after track, through a splendid combination of deep, heartfelt and powerful vocal deliveries from the English artist, combined with lyrics that at time can be either very poignant (It’s A Shame, I Can’t Be Loved, These Four Walls) or full of confidence and swagger, like Malaya Blue so effortlessly shows, especially on tunes like Kiss My Troubles Away and the album closer, Hot Love.

Still is a new and exciting chapter, in the life and career of Malaya Blue, an artist that doesn’t cease to amaze for her genuine passion for music, enormous talent and disarming, artistic honesty, all attributes that the British artist showcases in all that she does. Blue’s new album, is, undoubtedly and by far, her personal masterpiece to date. Watch out for this very talented lady, Malaya Blue is here to stay for many more decades to come.