With ‘Remembering’, Naomi Campbell Unburdens the Past in Stunning Style
Naomi Campbell’s latest offering opens with all the showstopping splendour of a lost Dusty Springfield record. Then, just as you hold your breath for some heartshattering pathos, she hits you with resolve, calm and a sense of forward motion.
A sweet meditation on falling in love, Remembering sees Campbell taking a moment to unburden herself of the pain she’s carried in the past. It’s a track which sends the singer-songwriter into a more soulful direction, its sun-drenched harmonies and spangled guitar riffs paying tribute to sounds from the 1960s and 70s which taught Campbell her craft.
Originally from Co. Tyrone, Campbell has now spent more than a decade in Liverpool, becoming one of the city’s most versatile live acts in the process. She brings her country roots to gospel-tinged harmonies and blues influences, usually through a lens of nostalgia and wanderlust.
As a paid-up member of the Laurel Canyon fan club, a lifelong love of Americana and vintage rock has taken her to some time-honoured venues. She’s recorded tracks in Memphis’ famous Sun Studio and dazzled at the Groucho Club in Soho. Along with her band Motel Sundown, last summer she took to a packed-out Philharmonic Music Room to mark the release of their second record El Dorado, and they’ve also opened for the Jacksons at the Pier Head.
In newer developments, Campbell recently formed Down In Laurel Canyon, a 7 piece colossus of a band united by their love of Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Joni Mitchell and The Mamas & the Papas. They give the impression of a cheery extended family: a chorus of cousins as comfortable on stage as gathered round a campfire, harmonising while fireflies glint in the dark.
These are the kind of ambiences Campbell and her collaborators do so well – it’s music deeply rooted in an idealised American landscape, so evocative it transports listeners along with them. But this time it’s gratifying to hear a track which really brings Campbell’s voice to the fore, showing off her range and emotional depth. Remembering is the sound of Campbell stepping back up and surrendering to hope – perhaps her best song yet.
Stream Remembering now.
Follow @naomicampbellmusic on Instagram for updates.
Orla Foster
