Love Life Choices is the full-length debut from New York City-based vocalist Rebecca Angel on A Train. It follows her widely acclaimed 2018 EP What We Had, and a handful of well-received singles and other interim releases.
The new album includes original compositions from Angel, and interpretations which are treated with maturity and flair. Angel brings together several genres including jazz, soul, pop and Brazilian music, fashioning an instantly embraceable hybrid sound.
She’s working here with world-class musicians, including veteran jazz/R&B producer/arranger Jason Miles (Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, Grover Washington Jr.), who also provides keyboards; guitarist Romero Lubambo (Yo-Yo Ma, Diana Krall, Gato Barbieri, Kurt Elling and many more); bassist Reggie Washington (Steve Coleman, Branford Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Chico Hamilton, Oliver Lake, Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Ravi Coltrane and more); drummer Gene Lake, (Steve Coleman, David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, the World Saxophone Quartet and more); and trumpeter/flugelhornist Dennis Angel, also Rebecca’s father.
Angel draws material from a range of sources including Buffalo Springfield’s ’60s protest classic “For What It’s Worth,” which has already topped several prominent radio charts as a single, and songs written by Brazilian maestro Antonio Carlos Jobim, singers Sade and Bill Withers, and reggae icon Bob Marley. Featured too is Erik Satie’s classical canon, “Gymnopédie No. 1,” retitled here as “Till Now,” and featuring new lyrics by Angel.
“For What It’s Worth” is delivered with style and clarity. This opening track heralds a promise of quality, and Angel clearly has her own way with the music. “Till Now” is an interesting interpretation of Satie’s gentle and familiar composition. The lyrics are wistful and clear. At times, the original melody is lost, but Angel overlays textures in her rich vocals which engage and delight. The musical support is well toned and supportive, and the track is atmospheric as the singer tells the tale of finding love and not knowing what she was missing ‘til now.
“Side By Side” is Angel’s own composition (co-written with Miles and beatboxer Butterscotch), and was inspired by Angel’s recent marriage. It works in some funky grooves, underpinned with a beautiful piano melody over which the vocals enter and the magic begins. The journey of escaping with a loved one for a day is told and dreams are made.
“Just The Two of Us” is a great interpretation of Wither’s familiar song. It’s a brave choice, but the challenge is ably accepted by this singer and again, Angel makes it her own with an edge at times to the vocals which grab the attention. At the same time, however, Rebecca Angel leaves enough of the original so there is no detraction from the beauty of the song. Her delivery is really lovely. The sax interlude is gorgeous.
“Waiting In Vain” is a respectful homage to Marley’s song, and delivered with creative vocal arrangements which do the original justice. The instrumentation is solid throughout too, with a wonderful guitar solo in the middle section and an interesting percussion line. Angel shows her adaptability as she makes this work her way.
Jobim’s “Corcovado” is beautiful, with vocals and trumpet interacting in the opening before Angel tells the story of love, a beautiful place and the journey to finding meaning. The exquisite guitar solo works its magic in the break and the voice re-enters softly, gently and infused with love. The lyrics eventually give way to wistful vocalese before the words return, under which gentle trumpet takes the track to the finish.
“Waters of March” is another Jobim track, a livelier one this time and again well interpreted by Rebecca Angel and the musicians. Art Garfunkel’s version is possibly familiar to many but here, Angel again places her own authority firmly on the number in this cleverly arranged and stylishly delivered track. “Maureen” – a track written by Sade after the death of a friend – is delivered with appropriate emotion. When Angel sings,”You were a souped-up car in that rent-a-go-cart-town, and I miss you Maureen,” you believe it. Helped enormously by the music supporting the vocals, this track is well worked, layered and quite beautiful.
“Thoughts and Prayers” is a song of questioning: How much more can we take of pain and heartbreak? “Fear and hate consuming me, I try to prove we all belong – so we got to stay strong” Angel sings. The number makes observations of the despair and not knowing what is happening, the grief and lying, and despair. “Can we have our say, not tomorrow, today?” Angel asks. It is a reflection of the world we have seen in the pandemic perhaps, as seen through the eyes of a young woman but here delivered with the soul of one who has been here before.
“Summer Song (Electro Remix),” the closing track on Love Life Choices, is another original. It speaks of growing: “I was young, growing up in little ways. I was young, now I see things in a different way.” This might sound strange coming from a young singer, but Angel has a musical maturity and confidence beyond her years.
This is a good album with the music drawn from many sources. Angel’s voice lends easily to different rhythms and styles, and she has a deceptively laid-back style of delivery which belies the work done to hone her craft and the accuracy of her note placement.
She has a right to her confident delivery: “I never try to be someone I’m not,” Angel says. “The most important thing is believing in what you sing or play, because if you don’t believe it nobody else will.”
From her upbeat interpretation of “Waiting in Vain” to her edgy “Maureen” and her wistful delivery of “Corcovado,” Angel shows she can take and use different styles, adding her own distinctive interpretation. Rebecca Angel may be still starting out in many ways, but she shows a potential which is developing rapidly. Her sense of self and individuality shine like a veteran.
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