Mette Juul (Denmark) – On Dragon Wings (single/future album track)

It isn’t often that you can say genuinely that a song is vocally led, while at the same time acknowledging the contribution of the musicianship.

Mette Juul’s vocal input dominates ‘On Dragon Wings’ in a way you rarely hear these days but one which will immediately resonate with those who are familiar with the delivery of the likes of, say, Shirley Bassey or Elkie Brooks.

The exceptionally wide range of that vocal capability, together with a subtle, elegant contribution from piano (Peter Rosendal) and double bass (Lars Danielsson) (both of whom will also appear on the forthcoming album – her seventh) conspire to transport you from wherever you are into the classiest, lushest cabaret club you can ever imagine in your escapist dreams.

At the same time you feel she’d be equally at home in such an establishment and a jazz club, as sultry jazz vibes permeate throughout.

Not Nina Simone, but a serious comparison could also be made with Diana Krall.

The song is about trying to be in touch with yourself, while contemplating the dark sides of life, and reflecting on the fact that life does not always unfold as you want it to and that you may not always live up to your own expectations either.

It concludes with the suggestion that with the acceptance of that fact, there perhaps lies a wonderful freedom.

And it is that sense of freedom more which more than anything else pervades and arises from the performance.

NMC spends most of its time bringing new and rising artists to the attention of readers but it is always well worth the effort to include an experienced artist occasionally and those aspiring youngsters can learn much, too, from the effortless ease of Mette Juul’s execution of ‘On Dragon Wings’.

Nilento Records will release the album ‘Thank You & Other Stories’ in the spring of 2025. Prior to that there will be four singles in total.

Find her on:

Website: https://www.mette-juul.com/