Honesty (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Honesty
Type = studio
Artist = Alex Parks


Released = flagicon|UK October 24, 2005
Recorded = The Aquarium, London; Rocket Carousel Studio, Los Angeles; Area 21
Genre = folk pop, alternative, indie rock
Label = Polydor
Producer = John Reynolds, Alan Branch, Greg Wells, Graham Kearns, Stephen Lipson and Peter-John Vettese
Reviews =
Last album = "Introduction" (2003)
This album = "Honesty"
(2005)
Next album = TBA
(2007/2008)

"Honesty" is Alex Parks' second album, co-written with producers Greg Wells, Alan Branch, John Reynolds and Peter-John Vettese, as well as songwriters Judie Tzuke, Karen Poole and Marcella Detroit. It was released on 24 October 2005.

The lead single "Looking for Water" was released prior to the album as an exclusively internet-download release, and failed to make the charts on downloads alone.

The album received mixed reviews but charted at number 24, testament to Parks' devoted fanbase, who reacted positively to the new record. There were hopes that a second single, the title track "Honesty", released on 23 January 2006, would revive interest in the album. However, the single received minimal promotion and radio airplay, despite strong video airplay on The Hits and B4, as well as limited distribution, and entered the chart at number 56.

"Honesty" represents a distinct shift in genre from Parks' first album "Introduction", which was clearly in the commercial pop genre. "Honesty" is predominantly alternative folk pop with some rock and chill out influences, and includes a hidden track, "Tail and All", with a French samba rhythm.

Three very distinctive rock B-sides — "Near Death Experience", "Just Love" and "Black & White" — were released with the two singles from this album.

Track listing

#"Lie" - 4:21 (Alex Parks, Alan Branch, John Reynolds)
#"Out of Touch" - 4:04 (Parks, Helen Boulding)
#"Looking for Water" - 4:05 (Parks, Judie Tzuke, Graham Kearns)
#"So Emotional" - 3:59 (Parks, Tzuke, Kearns)
#"Lost Without a Name" - 4:13 (Parks, Marcella Detroit)
#"Get Out" - 3:49 (Parks, Tzuke, Kearns)
#"Honesty" - 3:39 (Parks, Tzuke, Kearns)
#"Adore" - 4:45 (Parks, Greg Wells)
#"From the Inside" - 4:26 (Parks, Karen Poole, Stephen Lipson)
#"Sweeter & Sweeter" - 3:59 (Parks, Wells)
#"Truth or Dare" - 6:24 (Parks, Peter-John Vettese, Felix Howard)
#"Moment" - 3:11 (Parks, Wells)
* "Tail and All" - ~ - 3:36 (hidden track, starts 9 minutes and 26 seconds into "Moment")

Review quotes

"Honesty is an accomplished second album that hints strongly of even greater things to come. It's an introspective, highly accessible album that needs a couple of plays to fully appreciate its true and wonderful quality. ...It is also good enough to have been included in our ‘best of 2005’ list, if the record company had sent us a copy in time for consideration... Strongly recommended." - Shakenstir

"That sense of a missed opportunity hangs heavy over Honesty - it could have been great, with well respected songwriters such as Judie Tzuke and Detroit and a producer of the calibre of Greg Wells (the man behind Rufus Wainwright's magnificent Poses album). Sadly, it's very far from great and Parks is going to have to have a major rethink if she's not to become another casualty of the reality TV curse." - musicOMH.com

"Her voice is strong and still has that distinctively emotional sound that got her singled out in the programme. She also displays a wide dynamic range, forceful and emotive in some songs, but hushed in others. ...So will Honesty be the album that catapults Alex Parks back into the big time and keeps her there? Maybe not, but if you like your singer songwriter ballads with a poppier flavour you could do a lot worse than checking it out." - BBC Pop/Chart Reviews

External links

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=B84820r4al489 All Music Guide - Alex Parks]
* [http://www.shakenstir.co.uk/feature.php?a=464 Shakenstir - HONESTY album review]
* [http://www.musicomh.com/albums/alex-parks_1005.htm musicOHM.com - HONESTY album review]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/2v9x/ BBC Pop/Chart Reviews - HONESTY album review]
* [http://www.shakenstir.co.uk/feature.php?a=484 Shakenstir - Shepherds Bush Empire gig review, Feb 2006]
* [http://www.shakenstir.co.uk/feature.php?a=618&pg=2 Shakenstir - Special Awards for 2006, Dec 2006]