Lauren Bush: Dream Away

There's no "i" in "team," or so the motivational speakers of the world will have us believe, but as far as music is concerned every effective team needs an ear or two. The team responsible for Dream Away—from vocalist and lead artist Lauren Bush to the instrumentalists and producers—is well-served by ears and uses them to excellent effect. Throughout this album of standards and contemporary songs it's clear that everyone listens—to the words, the music and each other—crafting a collection that is very much an ensemble work, albeit with Bush's vocals to the fore.

This is the second album from Canadian-born and London-based Bush, following, at something of a distance, 2016's self-released All My Treasures. It maintains the high standard set by that debut. Bush is joined once again by pianist Liam Dunachie, drummer David Ingamells and trumpeter Miguel Gorodi, with Conor Chaplin replacing Andrew Robb on bass.

The producers—pianist Dunachie and Ian Shaw, a fine singer and performer in his own right—and engineer John Prestage have together ensured that the album benefits from superb sound, ensuring crystal clear vocals and instrumentation. Bush is an excellent interpretive singer, whether she's giving an edge to the lyrics of "You Stepped Out of a Dream," bringing a laid-back and mellow approach to "In a Mellow Tone," adding a dewy-eyed torch-song quality to the Olivia Newton-John hit "Hopelessly Devoted to You," or engaging in some lively scatting. Throughout the album, the instrumentalists offer sympathetic backing as well as contributing engaging solos.

Dream Away is a consistently fine album, but one or two tracks deserve special mention for the quality of the performances. "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," a voice and piano duet between Bush and Dunachie, is a delightful take on this well-known number. "If This Isn't Love" warms up the coldest day, Bush's cheerily upbeat vocal driven by Chaplin and Ingamells' bouncy bass and drums (which also underpin Dunachie's equally upbeat solo). "Keep it to Yourself"—music by Geoff Gascoyne, lyrics by Bob Dorough—is a gently swinging song, with a burst of scat from Bush, a Dunachie piano solo and some considered trumpet phrases from Gorodi. On "Blackfriars," a new song written by Bush and saxophonist Fliss Gorst about events on a bridge over the river Thames, Bush and Gorst channel the ghosts of musical stars of the 1930s, invoking romantic scenes in a Hollywood version of London that would suit Fred and Ginger just fine.