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Syaharani & Queenfireworks: Anytime
ByAcoustic guitar, skipping, danceable rhythms and velvety backing vocals accompany Syaharani's crystal-clear voice on the upbeat opener "Kiranya." Syaharani's unselfconscious scatting here is a trademark of a vocalist who enjoys the thrill of improvisation. The full range of Syaharani's voice is heard to good effect on the lovely "Mungkin (Katakan)" which begins as a delicately sung ballad, an ode to love, before gaining wings on which the singer's powerful delivery has a nice, raspy edge.
The warm-toned trumpet of Ian Ingram, the mellow keyboard of Fajar Trias and the strummed guitar of veteran Donny Suhendra color much of the material on Anytime though soloing is all but absent. This is a songwriter's album and the songs are inherently memorable without shows of virtuosity. One pleasant exception is Suhendra's short but pretty acoustic flourish on "Jangan Lagi Datang."
There are two versions of the ultra catchy "Sayang Sayang Sayang," a hit single if ever there was. The firsta dance versioncontains a short burst of electric guitar and a vocal chorus that repeats the delightful refrain. The secondthe more pop-like original versionhas a rockier guitar cameo, Hammond keyboard and stronger vocals.
"Cancellation No More" one of four songs sung in English, has an absolutely killer bass line from Adi Dharmawan, and sounds like one of those epic tunes that Robert Plant pulls out of the hat once a decade. Syaharani's voice soars here and is totally irresistible. "So far away" and "De'dia,"a song that Syaharani has performed with the Yellowjacketsare vehicles for the full range of the singer's voice. "Picnic to the Sky" is a guitar-driven, pop-rock anthem that would have any festival crowd jumping up and down in delighted abandon; Syaharani's impassioned delivery hits a high here.
The CD's beautiful packaging features artwork akin to Roger Dean's and is another sign of the quality that runs throughout Anytime from start to finish. Soothing and uplifting in turn, these melodic, driving songs stand up to repeated listening and show off Syaharani's remarkable talents at their very best, making Anytime one of the crossover albums of the year.
Track Listing
Kiranya; Mungkin (Katakan); Kekasih Palsu; Jangan Lagi Datang; Sayang Sayang Sayang (Retro dance); Cancellation No More; Apa? Apa? Apa?; Anytime; So Far Away (Again Again Again); Sayang Sayang Sayang (Original); De'dia; Picnic to the Sky.
Personnel
Syaharani: vocals; Donny Suhendra: guitar (1-2, 5-10) ; Ian Ingram: trumpet (1-4, 6, 11); Fajar Trias: keyboards (3, 9); Iwano Coconut Tree: keyboards (1, 9-10) ; Ivanka Slank: bass (7); Kristian Dharma: bass (5) ; Adi Dharmawan: bass (6) ; Sirhan M Bahasuan: drums (5, 9) ; Dave Laurence, Pramirtha Sudirman, Anita Ibzz, Dee Prima K, Laras K, Sirhan MB, Ken, Alin: backing vocals (9).
Album information
Title: Anytime | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Demajors Records