Kirsty Hawkshaw – Meta-Message

This was a pleasant surprise. A compilation of singles and collaborations form the almost forgotten singer with the once almost-famous group Opus III is not sounding that earth shattering, but I can assure you it is. This is a polished, pumping piece of pure pleasure from possibly the most under-rated vocalist of her generation, which showcases her talents when working with a range of top dance music producers.

Now let’s get this out of the way straight away. Kirsty is virtually as old as me but looks at least two hundred and fifty times better. She looks the picture of health and vitality and begs the question; was rave culture really that bad for you? I’ve been eating porridge, swigging grapefruit juice and cranking out lengths of the swimming pool for years and I look twice as old as our Kirsty. Maybe she’s discovered the fountain of youth, but I’d be releasing a health and beauty DVD and my own range of life enhancing cereal bars if I was her.

Anyway back to the music, which is almost as lovely as Kirsty. It’s that voice that does it. It ranges from the high octane squeak of a mouse sucking on a helium balloon to the husky rasp of my electric sander grinding away at a teak treasure chest. ‘Walking on Clouds’ combines both vocal extremes with more mellow, honey coated tonsils in a progressive trance stormer, ‘Just Be Me’ is a slicker, smooth and silky take on life affirming lyrics and best of all is ‘All I want’; a pulsating mix of trance beats, velvety vocals on and an infectious chorus with noodle-doodly bits thrown in for good measure.

There’s something for all dance music fans and this is an excellent package well worth tracking down. I’d be interested to hear an album of Kirsty’s own work as she is both a musician and a producer in her own right and based on this collection I’d definitely buy it. Surely there’s a record label out there that would take a chance? Kirsty Hawkshaw we salute you!