Turner is a singer-songwriter from Salford, whose distinct sound transports you back to the heyday of the 1960s, whilst crossing over into an array of genres. A class act, Turner is an artist who revives the orchestral pop of Bacharach, revisits the echo chambers of psychedelic-folk, whilst creating a wistful ambience. She’s a real talent, whose honey-kissed tones could melt the coldest of hearts, and invigorate any jaded spirit. Think Lulu, Leslie Gore, Petula Clarke, Dusty, Linda Ronstadt with a bit of Kate Bush thrown in and you get the idea of the kind of standard Turner is at. An accomplished song-writer, Turner writes songs that are uplifting, empowering and sugar-coated with cosy nostalgia.

Following the success of her critically acclaimed EP “This is Turner”, Turner has been busy in the studio and created her much anticipated debut album “Daydreams & Stars“. Released via Stoned Gospel Records “Daydreams & Stars” is a majestic album, whose stream of melancholy trickles down the sunny mountainsides of bright optimism and jubilant jolts. It’s an album that reunites the soul-sister sentiments of the Spector days, whilst re-writing the lyrics. As an artist, Turner also creates music that advocates a collective consciousness of universal love and happy-go-lucky joviality, whilst retreating into her own harmonious haven. Like the sun and moon, Turner is an artist that simultaneously radiates with sunshine psychedelia and reflects from a melancholic moon.

With her opening track “Character”, Turner time-travels to the psychedelic era of rainbow riffs and tambourine tinkles whilst stepping out of the Farfisa haze, with a triumphant twist of rock sensibility. Through the looping riffs and robust vocals, Turner showcases her versality and fluidity as a soulful chanteuse.

Through the nimble-fingered riffs, staccato clips and rumbling beats, “Don’t You Ever Stop” spins and stomps in vortex of neo-psychedelia, reminiscent of bands such as Love and Jefferson Airplane. It’s a captivating track, whose stunning vocals adopts a Kate Bush mysticism and Grace Slick hallucinogenic surrealism, a sort of folk-fairy, dancing freely against the tribal beats.

Through her intimate vocals, “Mr Know It All” creates a powerhouse of soul and glamour likened to Lulu, Petula Clarke and all the greats! It’s a fantastic track, a Bond film score in the making, whose Bacharach-esque brilliance shines and soars above the heartfelt sentiments. Through the melodramatic motif of concentric crunches, jangly riffs, exultant trumpets and gospel-esque harmonies, “Mr Know It All” screams from the rooftops, creating a grandiose of sounds.

“Here I Am” is an infectious track, whose elongated vocals, the pitter-patter of piano and hazy harmonies are drizzled in melancholy, whilst shining from its shadows. Along with jangly riffs, farfisa fog and tambourine rattles, “Here I Am”, is a Happy- Go-Lucky catharsis, that sings from the heart and heals from the soul.

“Stay With Me” is a soul smoocher, whose stunning vocals evoke a stream of emotions in one take. It’s a sublime track, whose reverberating guitars, farfisa fuzz and translucent tones, tilts towards neo-psych and dreampop whilst shoegazing at the stars. Along with the gospel-esque harmonies and tambourine shakes, “Stay With Me” emits a spiritual homecoming that goes back to basics and warms the soul.

“Flowergirl” twangs and jangles from the remnants of alt-country, whilst taking a breezy excursion towards a New-wave horizon, likened to Blondie and Aztec Camera. It’s a great track, that surrenders to the charm twee-pop and be-bop harmonies whilst creating a great sing-along, foot-tapping wonder.

“The Clock” tick tocks, in the same time zone as Kate Bush’s golden years, when she was hailed a kooky genius. It’s a hypnotic track, whose cappella-esqe vocals harmonise with the idiosyncratic dual vocals, that bob like little characters in the outtakes of Bagpuss. Like a dark-wave nursey rhyme, “The Clock” is quintessentially quirky, original and spellbinding and is testament to Turner’s ever evolving soundscape.

“Miss You” is a sublime track, whose stripped down acoustics, lays bare the heartfelt sentiments in bucket loads. Through the captivating vocals and emotionally driven lyrics, “Miss You” is a beautiful tribute, a psych-folk track that cuts deep and cascades like angel feathers from afar.

Through the Spanish-esque strums, “Masquerade” strums freely and wildly aside the intimate vocals of Turner. Like Kate Bush and Aurthur Lee doing a tango under a sun drenched sky, “Masquerade” is a neo-psychedelic, acid-rock, orchestral pop gem, whose Flamenco flares create a melodramatic motif.

As the title track of the album, “Daydreams and Stars” captures the ethereal beauty and wistful sentiments that sweeps throughout. It’s a track whose cinematic soundscape glides elegantly with grace and wonder like a happy ending of a fairy tale. It’s achingly beautiful whose exquisite vocals run barefoot across the pensive pianos and orchestral enlightenment. What could be a B-side of “The Man with the Child in His Eyes”, paves the way for Turner as an artist, crossing over into a more progressive pop and baroque pop remit, whilst sprinkling a little fairy-dust along the way.

To purchase the album –Louise Turner singer/songwrter Salford (thisisturner.com)