Written by: Lee Graham
Photo credit: Heather Elliot
Band:
Album Title:
Release Date:
Chantel McGregor
The Healing
23rd May 2025
If you think you know what to expect from this album think again. I’ve been a fan of Chantel McGregor for a long time now and I’ve loved her albums to date. But this one could be her finest yet, and it’s very different sonically to her previous releases. This album is very progressive; in places the melodies remind me of Steven Wilson or Anathema. It’s got real attitude, layers, and leaning into some truly progressive elements, with big ambient electronic sections taking their moment in the spotlight.
There is one common denominator across her releases, and that’s soul. This album, possibly more so than others, is written from the heart and you can feel that. Every note packed with so many emotions it’s bursting at the seams. Lyrically, Chantel is wearing her heart on her sleeve and there’s a real cathartic energy to the record. I feel like this is an album that sees her really process a lot of what she’s been through, but also one that we can all relate to, with our own tough times in life.
Each song another chapter of the story, all individual and poignant, but incredibly worked together as one huge tapestry.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have a few conversations with Chantel and we’ve often spoken about her love of this style of music. In recent her live shows have certainly been steering to a more cinematic, grandeur sound. So though this is a departure from the sound of previous releases, this is one that not only makes sense but feels like the album she’s been heading towards for some time.
Oli Brown and Wayne Proctor assisted with production and recording, and they were absolutely the right team to highlight these songs and sonically take them to the next level. With Oli Brown & The Dead Collective (as well as Wayne’s other production works), they are no strangers to building up soundscapes to get lost in. That’s not to overlook Chantel’s incredible voice and her beautiful guitar playing. These skills that have made her mark to her career to date, are very much the centrepiece to this wonderful musical landscape. This is her story, and she tells it beautifully.
Each song another chapter of the story, all individual and poignant, but incredibly worked together as one huge tapestry. This is very much an album to be listened to front to back. Although singles from the album Stand on My Own and Broken Heartless Liar are strong songs on their own. It’s when you listen to the album as a whole piece that you truly get the impact.
It would be very easy for me to say cliches like ‘This is a contender for album of the year’ (and it is!), but what I will say is that I believe this to be her finest album to date!
Track Listing
- I Will Breathe
- Broken Heartless Liar
- Tears
- Stand On My Own
- Echoes
- Undercover
- Truth Will Out
- The Healing