Officially, Hope -- Susan Boyle's sixth album since 2009, every record appearing in time for the holiday season like clockwork -- is her first non-thematic album since 2011's Someone to Watch Over Me, but in broad terms every one of Boyle's records feels the same and this 2014 set is no exception.
Relying heavily on the pop standards of the '60s and early '70s with the comparatively recent cover of Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" and Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" offered as spice, Hope is cut from the same cloth as its predecessors: it's nothing but songs that have been handed down through the generations via variety shows, all arranged not to offend.
This has been Boyle's modus operandi since I Dreamed a Dream but Hope, like Standing Ovation: The Greatest Songs from the Stage and Home for Christmas, benefits from the absence of her original producer Steve Mac, who gave her original album a chilly somnolence.
Hope still is in danger of dragging due to its stateliness but the surroundings are warmer, which is not only a better fit for Boyle's voice but also means the record comes closer to providing a comforting bath of familiarity.
By design, there are no surprises in either the songs or arrangements on Hope, but the execution is precise and professional and Boyle and her fans both benefit from this shift in tone.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wish You Were HereDavid Gilmour, Roger Waters | Susan Boyle | Play | 03:42 | 8 MB | 22 MB |
| 2 | I Can Only ImagineBart Millard | Susan Boyle | Play | 03:34 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 3 | AngelSarah McLachlan | Susan Boyle | Play | 04:27 | 10 MB | 27 MB |
| 4 | Abide with MeTraditional | Susan Boyle | Play | 02:22 | 5 MB | 12 MB |
| 5 | ImagineJohn Lennon | Susan Boyle | Play | 03:25 | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| 6 | Will the Circle Be UnbrokenTraditional | Susan Boyle | Play | 04:06 | 9 MB | 22 MB |
| 7 | Bridge Over Troubled WaterPaul Simon | Susan Boyle | Play | 04:53 | 11 MB | 29 MB |
| 8 | The Impossible DreamJoe Darion, Mitch Leigh | Susan Boyle | Play | 04:00 | 9 MB | 23 MB |
| 9 | Oh Happy DayEdwin Hawkins | Susan Boyle, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | Play | 03:26 | 7 MB | 23 MB |
| 10 | You Raise Me Up [Live]Brendan Graham, Rolf Løvland | Susan Boyle | Play | 03:47 | 8 MB | 23 MB |
| 37 mins | 87 MB | |||||
| 37 mins | 224 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dishan Abrahams | Bass |
| 2 | Kennedy Aitchison | Arranger, Keyboards, Mixing, Piano, Producer |
| 3 | Jonathan Allen | Engineer |
| 4 | Steve Anderson | Arranger, Keyboards, Piano, Producer, Programming, Remixing |
| 5 | Jez Ashurst | Instrumentation, Programming |
| 6 | Jonathan Ayling | Cello |
| 7 | Susan Boyle | Arranger, Liner Notes, Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 8 | Kevin Burleigh | Mixing |
| 9 | Dermot Crehan | Fiddle |
| 10 | Crouch End Festival Chorus | Choir/Chorus |
| 11 | Joe Darion | Composer |
| 12 | Diva Choir | Choir/Chorus |
| 13 | James Drew | Editing, Pro-Tools |
| 14 | Luke Fitton | Guitar |
| 15 | Timothy Gill | Cello |
| 16 | David Gilmour | Composer |
| 17 | Brendan Graham | Composer |
| 18 | Edwin Hawkins | Composer |
| 19 | Ash Howes | Additional Production, Instrumentation, Mixing, Programming |
| 20 | Charlie Kenny | Drums |
| 21 | Sean Kenny | Engineer |
| 22 | Lakewood Church Choir | Featured Artist |
| 23 | Mitch Leigh | Composer |
| 24 | John Lennon | Composer |
| 25 | Rolf Løvland | Composer |
| 26 | Avril Mackintosh | Editing, Engineer, Pro-Tools |
| 27 | Cliff Masterson | Arranger, Choir Conductor, Conductor, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Producer, Programming |
| 28 | Sarah McLachlan | Composer |
| 29 | Vlado Meller | Mastering |
| 30 | Bart Millard | Composer |
| 31 | Jim Neilson | Assistant Engineer |
| 32 | Andrew Panton | Vocal Coach |
| 33 | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | Primary Artist, Strings |
| 34 | Paul Simon | Composer |
| 35 | Gary Thomas | Engineer |
| 36 | Traditional | Composer |
| 37 | Roger Waters | Composer |
| 38 | Ken Watts | Producer |
| 39 | Jeremy Wheatley | Mixing |
| 40 | Mick Wilson | Vocals (Background) |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |