Rumer's 'Seasons of My Soul' album review

Years of patience finally paid off for the UK artist Rumer. With two nominations from the people behind the MOJO annual awards, (taking home the award for Breakthrough Artist, but losing the honor of Best Album of the Year to the Arctic Monkeys’ Suck It and See), 2011 has been an exciting year for the singer-songwriter.

Sarah Joyce adapted the stage-name Rumer after her dying mother sent her on a quest to make peace with the family’s past. According to the UK’s Guardian, upon returning to London after her journey through Pakistan to reconcile with her biological father, Sarah received the heartbreaking news about her mother’s death. After the funeral, Sarah found, among other things, a reading list left by her mother. One of the authors mentioned on the list was British writer, Rumer Godden, whose literary works span her time while in India. Godden’s novels often portray her adapted country with distinct and rich details that evoke a deep sense of atmosphere for the place she grew up in.

But for Rumer, the singer-songwriter probably couldn’t have picked a better alias. Released back in 2010, Seasons of My Soul is the UK artist’s debut album, and with heavy backing from mentor and British composer Steve Brown, who also produced the album, the songs off the debut release are delightfully unadorned. With an authentic and believable stance to these songs, Rumer’s debut album resounds with a memorable quality that harkens to a lounge/cocktail hour feel. Current popular music pales in comparison. And with a reticence to these songs that conjures up rainy days to the nostalgic mind, the somber tracks on this compilation have an indoor quality to them that will be hard to miss.

Listeners may even tag to this album the holiday spirit. The Christmas reference doesn’t seem too far-fetched. Perfect for this time of year, there is a slow and simple quality to these songs that may have listeners reflecting on this past year perhaps with a gleam of nostalgia and maybe even with a sense of quiet reverie. Especially with the sobering and honest lyrics in “Aretha,” listeners will hone into the vulnerable and wintry quality to the track.

Upheld in each of the songs in Seasons of My Soul is a centered-balance between the two polar ends of warmth and cold that listeners will find out is Rumer’s own distinct style. These songs off the compilation are definitely more patient examples of pop music today. With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, Rumer’s Seasons of My Soul will take you back to the authentic spirit of this holiday season. Her sweet Karen Carpenter-esque vocals and honest lyricisms will serve as a great reminder of what is truly valuable this time of year.