Love Saves, Tina Arena’s thirteenth studio album, is a captivating musical journey that showcases the iconic Australian singer's versatile vocals and heartfelt storytelling. Comprised of a collection of songs that revolve around love, compassion, and resilience, Love Saves is Arena’s greatest musical achievement.
That declaration extends to the recording, mix, and mastering of this release for it is flawless. While it may not be presented as an Apple Digital Master, the Hi-Res Lossless presentation on Apple Music will leave you in awe. The result of such perfection is that one can enjoy the music and not be distracted by production aspects that are unrelated to the songs themselves.
Church is a lovely opener that sees Arena’s gorgeous vocal float atop the musical bed. It is, however, not the strongest song from the album and is therefore surprising that it was chosen as the lead single from Love Saves. While some, perhaps even yourself, may disagree, I simply feel many stronger songs could have been selected to launch Love Saves to Arena’s fans.
Cry Me A Miracle is magnificent and would have been a stronger opener. It’s musical bliss and Arena’s vocal is so raw and unprocessed that it’s as if she’s in the room with you.
Outrun The Night continues with the trademark piano-backed style that works so well with Arena’s overall vocal presentation. Outrun The Night has a Lady Gaga feel to it, but that shouldn’t be seen as a deterrent for this is one of Arena’s most beautiful recordings. It’s just that I would love to hear Gaga cover Outrun The Night.
Can’t Say Anything is a musical throwback to Arena’s 90s era, but with a modern twist. It sounds familiar, yet fresh and magnificent. The hook will compel you and that rhythmic drive, with Arena’s sensational vocal, ensures that Can’t Say Anything will be a memorable standout and an incredible tune should Arena choose to perform it live.
Devil In Me is a killer song. Your body will move involuntarily, as if controlled by the music, for this is yet another musical and vocal masterpiece from Arena.
Dancing On Thin Ice slows the tempo and is a beautiful ballad. Arena can still hit every note with such incredible control. It goes to show that age is just a number for at 55 years young, Arena’s arguably a stronger and more confident vocalist than at any other time in her illustrious career. Incredible!
Mother To Her Child is another song I’d love to hear Lady Gaga cover. Purists will likely detest that comparison, but it’s suggested with nothing but pure admiration for both of these incredible vocalists. Plus, when a song such as Mother To Her Child is this exceptional, it deserves to be heard, and appreciated, by a broader audience than Arena generally attracts.
Dared To Love You First is lovely, not a standout, but lovely nonetheless. It’s, for lack of a better term, the quintessential album-only tune.
Love Saves has a delicate composition and is worthy of the title track position. As with all the songs from Love Saves, Arena’s vocal is recorded so perfectly that you’ll be lost for words. Anyone who has heard Arena’s music will know just how incredible she is as a vocalist, but it is songs such as Love Saves that secure that opinion for there are few vocalists, particularly in the modern era, that can sing with such perfection.
House is more upbeat and pop-driven, but it’s a great song that’s thoroughly engaging and is a perfect tune for the closing moments of the album. For those of you who pick up Love Saves on vinyl, House is the final song and will likely compel you to play the album again. However, I really appreciate the bonus track on the CD and streaming counterparts as it’s simply lovely.
Danser Sur La Glace is, as I’ve already suggested, a coveted closing tune. Normally I dislike bonus tracks, but this is one example of how to do it correctly. It’s familiar, because it is the French version of Dancing On Thin Ice, but it is uniquely fresh as the language shift allows us to enjoy the song in a purely musical manner; for those of us not well-versed in the French language. Regardless, Danser Sur La Glace is a perfect way to close Love Saves and is so captivating that I find myself playing the album on repeat, for hours on end.
A modern masterpiece of timeless songs would be an apt description for this 2023 release. From anthemic tunes to soul-stirring ballads, combining powerful vocals, heartfelt lyrics, and a diverse range of musical styles, Arena’s artistry shines throughout, ensuring Love Saves is not only one of the very best albums released in 2023, but is Arena’s greatest album to date.