Album Review: Michelle Lynne – One Step At a Time

One Step At a Time marks a departure in more ways than one for classically trained pianist Michelle Lynne.

Not only is it her debut independent release, but it also finds Lynne using her classical background as a springboard into other genres, all the while retaining the rigour and versatility of her training.

Her deftness and skill on the piano can be heard on In the In-Between and Coldplay’s Everglow, the pair of songs that open the album, both instrumental pieces that have sweeping orchestral flourishes, led by performances on the keys that have the lilt of Celtic folk in the melody but on a grander scale.  

They are followed by Hold On and Empty Promises, ballads that are full of passion – and more than a hint of emotional turmoil and change – as Lynne’s vocals reveal how smoothly she can turn her vocal skills from folk to rock and gothic expressiveness, giving the lyrics on both songs a sense of great change occurring gradually. It’s a change that hurts nonetheless.

The artist returns to an instrumental setting on Pavane pour une infante défunte, where Lynne remains faithful to the classical nature of Maurice Ravel’s piece, while adding some jazz-like colouring, almost in the vein of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. It really is a marvel to behold.

The self-penned Let Me Heal is a song of transformation and aptly signals Lynne can turn her hand to pop ballads too, taking an understated approach to deliver its powerful, personal message.

Jeux d’eau sees her return to the work of Ravel in great style, as she encapsulates the flowing, aquatic nature of the piece, again faithful to the original, yet allowing her to exercise her range and influences. Continuing the classical and water theme, Franz Liszt’s Au bord d’une source works wonderfully on its own and with the featured works of Ravel.

The album also offers up variations of Hold On, Empty Promises, and In the In-Between, which give us alternative insights into the tracks, thanks to Lynne’s differing approaches.

If Michelle Lynne views One Step At a Time as an experiment, then it is a successful one, allowing her to showcase her classical skills for a wider audience and reveal her skills as a vocalist, songwriter, and adapter of others’ work. Like her own songs on the album, it really is a work of transformation and growth.

One Step At a Time can be streamed on YouTube and Spotify – for all the latest news from Michelle Lynne, be sure to check out her Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok socials.