The One, The Only... Chantal Claret

After being an avid listener to Chantal Claret’s previous band, Morningwood, I was not expecting the surprise that awaited me when I finally plucked up the courage to take a listen to her debut solo album.

Whilst Morningwood consisted of heavy guitar, thrumming bass, and powerfully rocking vocals, Chantal appears to have moved on from the past into a new and exciting era of sound. The One, The Only... is a 60s style, upbeat album packed with songs that sing about love and happiness, with cheeky sexual references and some hilarious lyrics that really show off her new look and life.

Who would’ve thought that the dark haired girl fronting that band that nobody ever quite knew about would grow into the bold redheaded woman with her full band and backup singers behind her? Certainly not me. Even some of the most popular radio stations are taking interest in her now, and it’s starting to seem like the real beginning of her career, as it never quite took off properly before Morningwood split.

What’s even more surprising than her sudden rise to fame is the album itself. Never have I listened to a full collection of 60s style music and been able to admit that it left me thoroughly amazed by how much power can be packed into 12 songs (and one intro). The first track after the intro happened to be the last single released before the album itself, Bite Your Tongue, and I was just as impressed with how it fit itself in with the rest of the songs as I was with the song as a single and a video.

The next song, Pleasure Seeker, was the song which titled an earlier EP. The song however had not been released up until this point. It has an extremely addictive hook, and the lyrics are rather abstract while also being quite blunt. There are cheeky undertones, but the main focus (as with the rest of the album) is the power of Chantal’s voice. This can be seen in many Morningwood songs too, but with the added organisation of the music her voice is really brought out in the best possible way.

Pop Pop Bang Bang is quite a humorous song, about Jill (from the rhyme) murdering Jack. Sounds hilarious, right? But with Chantal singing the lyrics it becomes a song that makes the listener feel like dancing, clapping and singing along, rather than joining in with a mass murder. Although the song doesn’t seem to fit in with the other 60s tracks, it is still excellent to listen to and I’m thankful it ended up on the album. The video is also quite good, though aims more for the horror aspects of the song rather than any funny or romantic moments.

This Time is by far not one of the most popular tracks on the album, but definitely delivers a great chorus and still outstanding vocals. The lyrics of the album are now starting to move towards love and lust, and away from any cheekiness, or death. No Love Lost is slow, upbeat, and carries some soft and yet still powerful vocals. It doesn’t stand out as a song, but is worth the listen even if just for the catchy hooks or the relatable lyrics. Never Gonna Let You Go is similar in the way it doesn’t stand out quite so much, but is definitely a song for happiness and bringing your spirits up.

Real Girls is a very inspirational song from Chantal, about how she loves her weight, and believes that girls who aren’t stick thin and fake should be loved the most. It’s hard to feel self conscious about your appearance when she’s singing her comical take on this issue a real girl jiggles when she walks away’. Black Widow is also a great listen, and the description of the said ‘Black Widow’ woman is perfect. Personally, this is my favourite song, even though there is not much to define the music and vocals from the rest.

The next song Honey Honey was released before the album, and is the favourite of many fans. It is a very cheery song, and is about a relationship going strong (a dream for most of us), which references to her marriage of James Euringer, frontman of the band Mindless Self Indulgence. The music of the band in this song isn’t that distinguishable from the rest of the album, and the strength of her voice isn’t special, but is a good song all the same. As is Song For The Sinners, though this track has a more haunting atmosphere to the music and sound. The lyrics are not as haunting, and sing about sex and love, but it’s almost impossible to dislike the melody and softly sung words.

The last two songs bring a mix of real 60s funk, in the song Light It Up, as well as a sad symphonic song with Can’t Save Her. The former contains vocals from Chantal herself and a male singer accompanying her throughout parts of the song. The main hook is the basic stream of ‘light it up now’s, but is still an interesting song with different parts and some great backing music. The last song is the renowned slow song of the album, and brings some of the best lyrics. The song is about a young girl who’s youth has been ruined by sex and partying. It’s a very calming song to listen to, even though the lyrics are so powerful. The song has many similarities to the song from the last Morningwood album, Cat In A Box.

Overall, the album is a complete stretch from Chantal’s previous songs about having sex with the teens she’s been paid to babysit, and the onstage stripping. She’s really grown into a woman, as has her style of music, and I would recommend any curious people who like the sound of this different and creative style of music to give it a try. If the full album is a stretch, give the single videos a go instead.

Who knows? Maybe this album will be the big break Chantal has been waiting for since 2001, when her music career began.

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