Music Review: Marc Almond, The Velvet Trail

By Melissa Bratcher

Marc Almond’s latest, The Velvet Trail, feels like something of a miracle and sounds even better. After his 2010 release, Varieté, Almond intimated that he would no longer record his original material. When producer and songwriter Chris Braide (Lana Del Rey, Britney Spears, Beyoncé) heard this news, it became his mission to change Almond’s mind. Braide composed a trio of instrumental tracks specifically for Almond. Upon hearing them, Marc Almond changed his mind. They worked together long distance: sending files to each other, writing long emails and not speaking on the phone, all to keep their chemistry intact. They didn’t meet until the album was finished.

That’s not the only curious thing about The Velvet Trail. The album is seamless; tracks flow into each other, and it is meant to be heard in one sitting (though it’s not a “concept” album). There are three acts. Each act begins with a short instrumental interlude and contains four songs. It’s very clever.

Almond is in fantastic voice for The Velvet Trail (but when isn’t he?). The exuberant “Bad To Me” is dancey and urgent, crisply percussed with a dollop of trumpet. His marvelous voice is pushed to the front of “Zipped Black Leather Jacket,” about a “shapeshifting changeling, the shadow dealer.” It’s produced very well, with the music recessed but not inaccessible. Almond is captivating wearing this character’s skin. His glorious slide to falsetto on the raw torch song “Scar” is goosebump inducing. Act One is rounded out with the upbeat “Pleasure’s Wherever You Are.” His lyrics evoke so much with a simple couplet, making it a slightly seedy, but quite romantic song.

The songs of Act Two seem much chillier. There’s a distinct sheen to to the music, a sonic remove. The lyrics to “Minotaur” are dramatic, about rage and passion, but the music is so cold. “The Pain Of Never,” too, suffers from the lack of a human touch musically. Almond’s voice is so delightfully warm and human, and his performance is lovely.

In Act Three, though, things are on an upswing. Beth Ditto is featured on “When The Comet Comes,” and she sounds wonderful with Almond on this disco-flavored track. It is the kind of song that cries out for a video. The dramatic and melancholy “Life In My Own Way” is fascinating lyrically, and has a classic waltz structure. “Winter Sun” evokes a fading romance, and is stark and beautiful. The title track haunts, lonely and stunning. The sound of the sea rolling in and Almond’s rich lyrics make it incredibly moving.

That The Velvet Trail even exists is amazing. While it occasionally suffers from a lack of warmth, the depth of feeling in Almond’s singular voice and lyrics redeem it.

The Velvet Trail was released by Cherry Red Records on March 9.