MUSIC REVIEWS
BY MARC ANDREWS
BIELFIELD – MANHATTAN
US expat Kyle Bielfield is an opera singer by trade and a pop star by design. Finally, his debut album arrives and, strangely, it’s almost exclusively a covers album suggesting some record company compromising. There’s one original, Lady, while the rest showcases his classically trained instrument (ie, his golden voice). The covers are as disparate as A-ha’s ‘80s synth classic Take On Me and recent Latin chart-topper Despacito. In between there are songs made famous by Whitney Houston (I Have Nothing), Michael Jackson (Human Nature) and even Toto’s soft-rock staple Africa. Quite what they have to do with Manhattan is anyone’s guess but, according to Kyle, “this album helps bring together what I’ve been showing over the past few years. I’ve done the pop career, earned my stripes on stage and this is now about arriving as a fully formed artist”. Could we just request a whole album of originals next time please?