Noel

www.northeastintune.com/noel.html

Totally unable to categorize Noel’s music and sound is what drew me to her. The combination of her soprano voice, acoustic piano and the electronics of the guitars, bass and keyboards blend together to create a very pleasurable and unique sound and style. The creation of multiple layers of sound forms musical landscapes enabling the listener to travel through various moods.

Growing up in a small Rhode Island fishing village, Noel moved to Boston where she graduated summa cum laude from the Boston Conservatory of Music. At the conservatory, Noel studied classical voice and piano; obviously, she has worked very hard to develop her talent and sound. Noel has sung with the very prestigious Boston Pops, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and John Oliver Chorale. Noel has performed before capacity crowds at Boston ’s Symphony Hall.

Noel’s evident talent allowed her to write very heartfelt and moving music and lyrics that caught the ear of renowned LA producers and many others. In fact, her voice inspired film composer Brian Tyler who has featured Noel’s vocals in “The Forth Floor” (starring William Hurt), Jane Doe (starring Teri Hatcher), The Big Empty (Kelsey Grammer), and the Children of Dune mini-series. She is also a featured artist on Get Ya Self Up! (Yellow Rose Music, 2004), a compilation CD benefiting breast cancer awareness. Noel most recently headlined a benefit concert for the Brain Tumor Society of Boston.

In my opinion, Noel is a performer true to her heart and soul. She creates what she feels and has a drive to outdo herself with each and every song she writes. It is because of this drive, dedication and obvious love for great music that I have chosen Noel for this month’s Women In Music Feature.

Noel’s sound, though unable to truly be compared to any one artist, may be bring thoughts of such artists to mind as Enya and Sarah McLachlan. Her music is beautiful and has the ability to carry aural landscapes of emotion; A true artist indeed!

Although Noel is the heart and soul of this sound, her band cannot go unmentioned. Performing with Noel is Matt: guitar, Stack: vocal percussion, Colin: bass, Alon: keyboards, John: keyboards and drum loops.

If you want to bang your head or jump into a mosh pit every time you hear a song or, you feel, that song is no good, Noel’s music is not for you. However, if you are truly into music, its structuring, overall sound, the ability to smoothly flow while bringing emotion and solace to the listener, you will be hard pressed to find a better writer and performer.
- North East In-Tune Magazine

By Dale Kawashima

Noel, a gifted, modern pop/electronic singer & songwriter based in Boston, MA, has won the September SingerUniverse “Best Vocalist Of The Month” Competition, for her performance of her song “Defenseless” (which was co-written by Christian B. & Marc Dold). This song is featured on her upcoming, 12-song CD Defenseless, which will be released in late September.

“Defenseless” is a very distinctive, passionate uptempo tune, which blends the ethereal, new age style of Enya with the pop/classical vocals of Charlotte Church. This song has a beautiful melody, particularly in the chorus, where the melody and harmonies combine to create an emotional, soaring feeling. “Defenseless” also provides a showcase for Noel’s expressive vocals, her skillful piano playing, and outstanding production by Christian B. & Marc Dold (their company is Swiss American Federation), who are known for their remixes of hits by Celine Dion, Nelly Furtado, Sarah Brightman and Peter Gabriel.

Noel was born and raised in the small, fishing village of Wickford, Rhode Island. She grew up in a classical music environment; both her mother and grandmother were opera singers. Noel began playing piano at age 7, and she would sing at church, weddings, and at recitals. For college, she attended the respected Boston Conservatory of Music, where she was a voice performance major and a piano minor. After graduating, she joined the Tanglewood Festival Chorus with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and she also was a guest vocalist with the Boston Pops Orchestra and the John Oliver Chorale

In 1999, she met producer/engineer John Weston of Futura Productions, who became an important contributor to Noel’s development as a recording artist. “I met John during a musical theater project, and I played him several of my songs,” recalled Noel. “He really liked my music, and he encouraged me to explore a more electronic music direction, such as Bjork, Enya and Madonna. I began recording with John. He would record my piano and vocals, then he would find arrangers and do the full productions.”

The songs produced by Weston received an excellent response, and led to Noel being hired to sing for many movie projects. She has sung in several films scored by Los Angeles composer Brian Tyler, including The 4th Floor, The Big Empty and Jane Doe. In addition, two of her songs were featured in the film, The Last Blue Day. Then in April 2004, she met Christian B. & Marc Dold, who produced “Defenseless” and another song for her CD.

With the imminent release of Noel’s album, this is a very hectic yet rewarding period for her. She has put together a six-piece band, and they will be performing shows in Boston and New York City. “I’ve also been asked to sing on the new version of a famous Playstation game,” said Noel. “Also, I’m looking to do more film work, get management, plus distribution for my CD. I’m very excited to release my CD, which I believe represents [a new sound] that people haven’t quite heard before.”

- Singer Universe Magazine

New Face, New Voice

I read the one sheet that came with Defenseless, the debut CD from singer/songwriter Noel and it looked promising. Oh Boy I thought. She sounds like Enya or Sarah McLachlan the sheet proclaimed. I love those two. You gotta love those publicity people. Well, Noel doesn’t sound even remotely like either of those divas. She does however sound very good with her own style; closer to Lisbeth Scott or Dru Allen or even a mature Haley Westenra.

Noel has a superb soprano voice that pacifies and mesmerizes the spirit. She sings with emotion and verve despite her youth. You may have heard her voice in several movie soundtracks and television series. She is joined by a bevy of musicians that make the haunting music come to life with an élan vital. She writes impassioned vocals that appeal to World, New Age and Pop audiences alike. But… there is something I did not like about her music. I enjoyed the music tremendously, but I think that Noel might use a live drummer instead of an electronic one. Now, on with the show.

Million Miles is the opening tune and a very good one. Noel demonstrates her expressive poetry as she proclaims that she will go to any length to prove her love. It’s nice to hear a love song nowadays. They just aren’t writing them like that anymore.

"I’d walk a million miles just to have you
I’d live a million lives if I could take your place
I’d give a million dollars just to own you
I’d tell a million lies just to touch your face."

The title tune Defenseless is a song of vulnerability. It's the state you enter when you truly love another. You give up everything including your resistance and offer trust. It's an emotional trade off that is never realized until it is lost.

A bit of ethereal pop creatively used in the song Better Off Numb. A little sad, but still a well written composition with enough sound effects to give it a memorable feel. Close Your Eyes is an exquisite vocal with Noel's sweet celestial voice shaking the rafters. Almost reverent in attitude, the song or, actually Noel's voice had a dulcet, yet operatic feel to it. It has a very pure tone that raises chills on the skin and in the heart. Noel's acoustic piano score is beautiful and touching.

Requiem sounded like something you might hear at a Cirque Du Soleil performance or from Paul Schwartz and frankly I liked the song and called it best on the album. It is operatic and a bit gloomy at times, but that's what I like about songwriters who throw their heart into their work. The song is beautiful and ambitious as well as complex.

"Don't go into town, not tonight
You must sleep, the glory is dull and mute
Children watch dreamlessly
Requiem Aeternam dona ies."

My favorite on Defenseless is the last cut called Evergreen. The vocals and the instrumentation have a heartbreaking sound that leaves the soul weeping. It's that beautiful a song. Perhaps a song about a fallen angel and the passage of time. Eons go by and her spirit goes with it. Very touching.

Noel is vocally reaching for the heights of some lofty songwriters and singers and I think that she will make her way to the top. She is one to watch. Put a bullet beside her album. Beautiful vocals, poignant instrumentation and great poetry. If she can slide a little more over to the New Age genre her success is assured.


Rating: Good +


- reviewed by RJ Lannan on 5/30/2006
- New Age Reporter