Natalie Walker (vocals)
John Stenger (synth, piano)
David Mason (drums)
John Davis (Bass)
Aaron Nevezie (Guitar)
Produced by: Natalie Walker, Dan Chen & Nate Greenberg
Influences
Some of my favorite artists include:
Depeche Mode
The Breeders
Arcade Fire
Autolux
Fugazi
Band Of Horses
The Raconteurs
The White Stripes
Edith Piaf
The National
Thievery Corporation
Sublime
Muse
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Prince
Radiohead
Talking Heads
U2
William Orbit
Ani Difranco
Aphex Twin
DJ Shadow
Massive Attack
Deftones
Madonna
Madeski Martin & Wood
Royksopp
The Chemical BrotherS
Moby
Wilco
The Orb
LCD Soundsystem
Dr. Octagon
U.N.K.L.E
Ladytron
NIN
Gorillaz
Fiona Apple
Bjork
Goldfrapp
Alison Krauss
Cold War Kids
Tool
Beck
Tom Waits
Foo Fighters
Beastie Boys
Bob Marley
It's often said that the true test of an artist's worth arrives on their second album, when they have to prove that their first was no fluke. By that measure, Natalie Walker has succeeded wildly with her sophomore effort With You, a startling maturation from the former lead singer of Daughter Darling.
Expanding the strengths of her first solo album, 2006's Urban Angel, With You is a cool, elegant collection of ethereal songs with a warm beating heart, music that retains the stylish, spacey vibe of her debut while revealing an accentuated pop flavor. This is music that's insinuating and alluring, seductive yet sweet, an album that is poised to make Natalie Walker a breakout star, the kind of electronica singer/songwriter whose music is inescapable. Of course, Walker already has been hard to ignore, as Urban Angel penetrated the mass consciousness, earning strong reviews from Billboard, Urb, Trace and All Music Guide, as such singles as "No One Else" and "Quicksand" received heavy rotation. Another sign of how Urban Angel struck a universal chord is how its songs kept popping up in films and movies, starting with Sofia Coppola's use of a Thievery Corporation remix of "Quicksand" in Marie Antoinette, then spreading to the television hits Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy.
All this acclaim and exposure raised the stakes for With You, and Natalie Walker responded by deepening her music, expanding her horizons while digging deep into her soul. Once again, she teamed with the Brooklyn-based Stuhr – the same duo that produced her debut – which gives With You a sonic throughline with Urban Angel, but Natalie and Stuhr were not complacent, they opened up new sonic vistas on this second record.
Alternately introspective and sleekly stylish, With You is a subtly adventurous album, one that is immediately appealing yet reveals more with each listen. Such complex, intertwined textures are surely a progression from Urban Angel but moving forward was not necessarily easy. “A sophomore record is really tough,” Walker admits. “I had no idea how difficult it would be. I know I wanted give myself some room to experiment with a lighter and more upbeat sound, but it was really challenging for me to keep things simple. I wanted to force myself to get out of my comfort zone – and I did.”
Indeed, some of the best moments on With You find Natalie stepping out of her comfort zone, weaving gently insistent pop hooks into her graceful electronica, as on "Ordinary," which has a nearly New Wave sparkle, or on "Over and Under," a melodic, rhythmic chill-out track that's rightly the album's first single.
With You is graced with poppy singles – songs that can pull in a broader audience without alienating her devoted fans -- but it hardly stays in one spot. Natalie agrees “the first half of the album is pretty upbeat but as you listen, it brings you back to the soft and serious side of my first album.” With their graceful, meditative lilt – equal parts folky dream-pop and electronic elegance -- “Monarch” and “By and By” are reminiscent of her debut but like everything here, the music and the emotions are heightened, which may be why "With You" is the title track, as it has a real emotional pull: “’With You’ is about real love – a love that gets stronger with patience and working through life together."
That genuine emotional connection is what drives Natalie Walker to make music. “I want to write songs that stick with people. It’s incredible to receive emails from people telling me that a certain song moved them or really connected to their life at the time they heard it. It’s why artists write. We want to feel like what we’re doing means something.” It's hard not to listen to With You and not feel that Natalie Walker is indeed making music that means something.
On Urban Angel:
"Be it Natalie Walker's drowsy vocals or the elegant song constructions, this album drifts by like whispers and drugs you with a hypnotic undercurrent." -Billboard, 2007
'Simply marvelous!' The Philadelphia Weekly
'You've got to get a copy of this CD, folks. It will be the best
music purchase you make all year.' Dave's Lounge
'An artist like Natalie Walker comes along only once in a great
while.' A&R Worldwide
'one of the most intriguing new talents I have heard in a while.' Arjan Writes
so ive been posting comments on peoples pages for the past half hour and Ive been using this little dancing bananna... and its not that annoying its not a giant banner that says come see my show just a little dancing bananna man and I just decided... that Im gunna copy and paste what I just wrote here... on to everyones who has HTML COMMENTS DISABLED mofo heres the bananna anyway http://msp45.photobucket.com/albums/f63/mommasgurl_69/banannnaman.gif you will find his golden ass there
Natalie!!! :D Guess what! :D lol I bought you as my pet!! :D Ha-ha, if you don't know what I mean, just look at the bottom of my profile. You were tied at being the most expensive person I bought! :O ^.^ Just thought you should know. lol
Hun, I am in love with you. I listen to your albums basically every morning on the way to school, and without them the mornings wouldn't be the same. Your voice is incredible and I wish you could play in south Florida so I could hug ya. =/
It's been an unusual start of summer for me... was an ordained minister and married a couple of friends, helped deliver a baby 2 days ago, consoled a 20 year old girl who struck a child pedestrian at 40 mph (this has to be everyone's worst nightmare), gearing up with my friend Sonia to do a triathlon (am I insane?)... but at the end of the day, "The World is Kind" video came out and I added it to my page because I just love these lyrics and isn't it so true... it's up in my top 5 favorites of yours (along w/ Mermaid, No One Else, Colorblind piano version, and Sancken's Doll). Now for the song of the day: Torch by Alanis Morissette
i was sooo disappointed you took off the over and under remix, it was rooooccckkin my profile and so many people messaged me about it- totally got your name out there>> que passo??
Hi! My debut album Nectar: OUT June 10th In stores and available on iTunes. Yeah! :) Hola! Mi disco debut Nectar: SALE el 10 de Junio En tiendas y disponible en iTunes. Siii! :) ***La fecha de salida para España y América Latina será anunciada muy pronto!
Just discovered your collaborations with Dive Index! Ooh they are so wonderful, and I am very excited that they are doing a remix of "With You" for the single. I'll definitly be on the lookout for the video for "The World is Kind" as well =) Breaktaking sound & spellbinding lyrics.
Come over for falafel Natta and shake your ass with me to this bangin' remix. ahhh, i love it! make's me wanna do a little glow stick dance wit cha. did i mention that we are using naan' tahahah. love you!
