Laura Mvula with Metropole Orkest

Recording information: Abbey Road Studios.
Photographer: Josh Shinner.
Over a year after the release of Sing to the Moon, Laura Mvula followed her Mercury Prize-nominated, Top Ten U.K. debut album with this -- an alternate song-by-song version, recorded with the 52-member Metropole Orkest at London's Abbey Road Studios. While there are some obvious studio touches, most evident with some of Mvula's vocals, this is a small treat for orchestral pop lovers and others who hear the original album as an over-produced product of its time -- a bit too Baz Luhrmann. Some of Sing to the Moon's quieter and more organic songs, such as "Can't Live with the World," don't sound much different here, while the likes of "That's Alright" and "Green Garden" are both lighter and more theatrical. ~ Andy Kellman