Lindsey Stirling // Shatter Me

 
Standard
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Deluxe
Download @ Amazon.co.uk | Download @ iTunes

It doesn’t seem that long since the release of Lindsey Stirling’s self titled debut but now she’s back with the follow up album, Shatter Me. So what’s in store with it?

Opening with the first single Beyond The Veil, with it very unassuming intro, we’re soon back to the familiar sounds of Stirling’s work. Mirror Haus. is another which builds into a roaring track whilst V-Pop at first seems to be a bit of sample (of a dance related track we can’t remember) but keeps the pace set by the previous tracks.

A first for Stirling’s solo work is a collaboration with Lzzy Hale (of Halestorm fame) who provides vocals on Shatter Me on what proves to be a stellar match. Heist has the tempo and emotion of one to open with but then there are moments of almost calm before the heist is back on. Roundtable Rival reminds us a little bit like a song from the shows Riverdance or Lord of the Dance whilst Night Vision has a sort of mid-tempo.

Take Flight is this albums Song of the Caged Bird though with a bit more edge as Acendance continues with the edge. We Are Giants feats vocal talents of Dia Frampton, which to us feels a bit like a tame Shatter Me. Swag just has plenty of that with a great little hip hop beat before coming to an end with Master Of Tides which does have a bit of a nautical feel to it.

At least, that is where it would end unless you buy the deluxe version which has three bonus tracks Eclipse (which implies a feeling of watching such an event), Sun Skip (which reminds us of the theme song from the Japanese animated film Paprika) before ending on an orchestrated version of Take Flight.

Overall it’s not a bad little album. It has a bit more edge than her debut and it was hard to see where Stirling would go with this album after the success of her debut. This album is a first in which her solo works involved lyrics. It’s one of few albums in recent years that we’ve managed to listen from start to finish without skipping. The question is: where does Lindsey Stirling go next?

Rating: 5/5