Press

THE SHAPE OF HISTORY 4 STAR REVIEW IN THE SCOTSMAN

WENDY JAMES INTERVIEW IN HEADSTUFF.ORG

https://headstuff.org/uncategorized/wendy-james-pop-art-survival/

THE SHAPE OF HISTORY REVIEW – THE YORKSHIRE POST

THE SHAPE OF HISTORY album review by Maxazine (Netherlands) 8/10

https://www.maxazine.nl/2024/10/27/album-recensie-overzicht-andrea-bocelli-wendy-james-en-anderen/

THE SHAPE OF HISTORY ALBUM REVIEW IN IMPATTO SONO (ITALY)

https://www.impattosonoro.it/2024/10/25/recensioni/wendy-james-the-shape-of-history/

WENDY JAMES INTERVIEW WITH HEAVY MAG

https://heavymag.com.au/shaping-your-own-history-with-wendy-james/

WENDY JAMES INTERVIEW ON XNOIZE PODCAST

WENDY JAMES Q&A FEATURE WITH RETURN TO SOUND

https://www.returntosound.co.uk/features-and-interviews/interview-with-wendy-james-of-transvision-vamp-fame

WENDY JAMES FEATURE IN THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/wendy-james-transvision-vamp-b2630425.html

Download PDF:
https://thewendyjames.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Wendy-James_Independent_211024.pdf

WENDY JAMES INTERVIEW – THE NORTHERN ECHO

WENDY JAMES INTERVIEW – LOVERBOY

Wendy James: The Shape Of History. Album Review

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

In the end it all comes down to attitude, the more you are able to stare into the possible void, the more respect you earn; the bold and the assertive do not meekly stand by as The Shape Of History unfolds, they do not cower at what have passed, only striding on with purpose, under no illusion that they may have occasionally mis-stepped their dance with Time, but are still able to lead it around the floor so others may swoon in their presence. 

History is unavoidable, history is ever present, and it takes understanding of spirit, artists with empathy and perception show the way, and for the former Transvision Vamp and Racine vocalist, Wendy James has placed herself directly in the eye of the past, present, and future in her sublime new recording, The Shape Of History. 

The album kicks off with wonderful misdirection, the simple pleasure of a piano kicks in and leads the listener in to believing the recording is going a certain way; only them to be seen as the overture, the advanced proposal to what is a sense of history being made in this, Wendy James tenth album recording overall, and the fifth in her well-established solo career.

From Sweet Like Love and through tracks as dominant and dramatic as Everything Is Magic, May I Kiss You Just Enough To Get Us Into Trouble, the superb The Crack And The Boom Of The Creeps And The Goons, Do You Dig It Do You Love It Is It Groovy, Freedomsville, the unrepentant Step Aside Roadkill, Thank You For The Time We Shared, and the album title track, which also adds the beauty of the crescendo, bringing the recording to its climax superbly, The Shape Of History, the album’s influences are varied and complex, and yet throughout feeling the upsurge in her talented wit and wisdom. 

With superb backing from Alex Ward on clarinet, piano, keys, lead/rhythm guitar, Harry Bohay on bass, James Sclavunos on drums/percussion,  Dave Sherman  and Louis Eliot adding additional support on piano and lead guitar respectively, the album’s structure holds firm, it graces the sound and vision of Ms. James’ vocals with fortitude and love in equal measure. 

The attitude has never been doused, the assertive cool has remained in whichever way the Muse has been seen and appreciated, and in defiance, in her world’s eye view The Shape Of History has been defined, and painted by her own ideals; the chronicles of the present are outlined, expressed, and found to be sharp, insightful, and in true Wendy James fashion, outrageously colourful and full of style. 

Wendy James’ The Shape Of History’s de-luxe version is available from the website, https://thewendyjames.com. 

Ian D. Hall

https://www.liverpoolsoundandvision.co.uk/2024/10/13/wendy-james-the-shape-of-history-album-review/

THE SHAPE OF HISTORY – ALBUM REVIEW BY CLASSIC POP

“You don’t come here to be comfortable, you come here to be excited” sings Wendy James at the top of her 10th album. 

But if that sounds like a warning to brace yourself for more of the pouty provocation that defined James’ Transvision Vamp days, then what follows may surprise you. The WENDY JAMES of 2024 is an older, wiser and far more intriguing prospect – one who long ago stopped relying on other (male) songwriters to put words in her mouth.

Take the opening track, Sweet Like Love. Having promised excitement it wrong foots the listener by delivering what sounds like an overture to a West End musical, one that showcases James’ impressive vocals against a shifting time signature which defies all logic, and is none the worse for that.

A Happy Life continues in a similarly eccentric vein, with James offering useful self-care advice about keeping promises to yourself and reflecting how “Time humbles all of us” while album highlight Everything Is Magic is a gorgeous rolling and rumbling saloon bar piano ballad that sounds like a sweeter Nick Cave – perhaps because Bad Seeds drummer Jim Sclavunos is behind the kit. 

Much of The Shape Of History conjures a summery 1960’s yé-yé pop vibe, while the jazzy drums and fluting vocals of This Declaration Of Love are pure Burt Bacharach. Which isn’t to say James has lost all of her former swagger: The Crack And The Boom Of The Creeps And The Goons, with it’s talk of “Some tits here, a little ass there”, and the discordant Step Aside Roadkill are big, dirty rockers, while Do You Dig It? Do You Love It? Is It Groovy? Is a propulsive slice of Krautrock with shades of Stereolab’s French Disko.

Does it all hang together? Not entirely: bonkers EDM blowout Freedomsville remains a baffling choice of a lead single. 

But it is never dull, and certainly never predictable.

Paul Kirkley

CLASSIC POP FEATURE