Album review: MY INDIGO (Sharon den Adel)

MY INDIGO

MVKA [Release date 20.04.18]

Suffering writer’s block and personal problems after Within Temptation’s Hydra world tour, lead singer Sharon den Adel sought solace in writing songs for herself. My Indigo, her first solo album, is the result.

But don’t get too excited, symphonic metal fans, My Indigo is a long way removed from Within Temptation.

Personally, from all the bands in that genre, I’ve always thought den Adel to be the singer most likely to be able to ‘cross over’ into the mainstream. There’s a depth and vulnerability to her voice that perhaps eludes most others in the symphonic rock genre.

It was a the mainstream rock elements of The Unforgiving (2011) that first drew me to Within Temptation, and what really impressed was the Q-Music Sessions (2013) that saw them deliver some sensational covers of pop songs by artists as diverse as Bruno Mars, David Guetta, Gnarls Barclay, Mumford And Sons, Coldplay, and Passenger.

And it’s from there that My Indigo takes its cue, with ten, 3-4 minute, tracks of pure [adult orientated] pop perfection.

From the opening title track, with its clever pan pipe embroidered chorus, the subtle use of Tijuana brass (and a Samuel L Jackson? biblical rap) on ‘Crash and Burn’, the vulnerable simplicity of ‘Out Of The Darkness’, and the aching ‘Black Velvet Sun’, the hooks dig so deep you’d need a general anaesthetic to remove them.

Then there’s the soulfulness of ‘Where Is My Love’, ‘Someone Like You’ with its gentle calypso beat will appeal to the generation who have grown up listening to the likes of Ingrid Michaelson, Lenka and Colbie Caillat, and the percussive splendour of ‘Safe And Sound’.

Every track here could be released as a single and strike gold. Frankly, I’ll be amazed if My Indigo doesn’t see den Adel become a household name in the US and her career rocket like Sarah McLachlan’s did in the late nineties. The sound of summer, for sure.  *****

Review by Pete Whalley

The Best of 2018


Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

Next session: Sunday 19 January


Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio



David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com


Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)



Popular (last 10 days)


This entry was posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply