Personnel: Sophie B. Hawkins (vocals, keyboards, percussion, programming); Peter Vettese (keyboards); Stephen Lipson (bass, programming); Neil Conti (drums); Louis Jardim (percussion).
Recorded at Sophie's Tugboat Palace, New York and The Aquarium, London, England.
WHALER is an auspicious sophomore effort for songwriter Sophie B. Hawkins, as this multi-dimensional artist begins to transcend her complex influences, while growing into a stylistic sphere all her own. WHALER signals a richer, more pop-oriented production, in which waves of multi-tracked voices and grand synthesizer flourishes frame Hawkins' voice in rich, romantic colors, echoing her concern with the vagaries and varieties of sensuality.
With its swirling synths, dense production values and echoes of rap, "Right Beside You" is a quintessential power ballad. "The Ballad Of Sleeping Beauty" and "Did We Not Choose Each Other" explore Hawkins' mystic take on relationships, while "Don't Don't Tell Me No," "I Need Nothing Else" and "Sometimes I See" employ varied ethnic rhythms, percussive background vocals and doo wop harmonies to frame her tales of sensual obsession in girl group sentiment. And in the tradition of her big breakthrough hit "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover," there's its upbeat, reggae cousin "Let Me Love You Up," complete with cajun accordion flourishes.
Professional Reviews
Spin (9/94, p.138) - Highly Recommended - "...If melody was still international currency, Hawkins would be lighting her cigars with $1,000 bills..."
Entertainment Weekly (8/5/94, p.54) - "...music at once extravagantly excessive and irresistibly catchy..." - Rating: B+
