Ever After

If you’re looking for some seriously sexy music to pump up the love volume in your home, Audius’ debut CD might be just the ticket.

I know what you’re thinking — Audius who?

Zimbabwean-born Audius Mtwarira is a singer-songwriter who offers up his own distinctive brand of R’n B, soul, and Afropop — and it’s a blend that goes down remarkably easy. He’s made a name for himself in Australia as a writer and producer, and has now formed his own independent record label, Legit. ‘Ever After’ is his first release, and it’s a self-assured, confident album that’s guaranteed to make your girlfriend go weak at the knees.

On ‘Ever After’, there’s a pleasant mix of romantic love ballads (‘Can’t Believe’), laments of love gone wrong (‘You’ve Gone’), and funky up-tempo efforts (‘Another Day’).

One possible criticism would be that Audius’ efforts are, for the most part, musically indistinguishable from American purveyors of the genre. His songs express the same sentiments of Babyface, Terence Trent D’Arby, or Craig Davids, in just the same way that they do.

Audius readily acknowledges Babyface as an influence. In a recent interview with Musica, he said: “Honestly I used to listen to that guy day in and day out. I used to study his arrangements and his vocal sequencing and so forth. And I have to admit I have been influenced a lot by him and people like Joe, Brian McKnight and what’s his name – Mark Dorsey? Really, really beautiful music that’s also an expression for me. I think a lot of material I do derives from that influence.”

I was also grateful that Audius, while clearly an incurable romantic, also realises the possibility of expressing love and desire without going into explicit anatomical detail. Call me a prude, but really, some things should remain in the bedroom.

Audius’ main strength is his honeyed voice, which flows effortlessly across the notes, pitched with just the right mixture of passion and persuasion.

If you’re planning an intimate dinner, or just want some music to unwind to, do yourself a favour and get out that chilled champagne, slip into something silky, and put Audius on your CD player.