leonalewis-spirit music reviews Virgin Media
Young reality star with immense voice looks to soul queens for debut
Having captured the hearts of a nation as the winner of The X Factor, and impressed the judges and public alike with her range and vocal strength, Leona Lewis’s talent is undeniable. Fortunately, on this debut album, her skill has been channelled into songs that deserve her voice – unlike so many before her, who’ve wowed in performance and then failed to produce the goods on record. Here, Lewis’s voice is employed singing songs which call to mind the slow, epic side of Seventies soul – and while, as you’d expect, it’s pretty much ballads all the way, they’re executed with aplomb.
Even a cover of the sublime The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (popularised by Roberta Flack) is delivered with heart-wrenching emotion and sincerity by Lewis, doing the original the justice it deserves. Tracks such as the R&B-tinged Yesterday (on which her vocal flutterings call to mind Mariah Carey) and the pacier Angel are fine, but it’s when the onus is taken from the beats and glossy production trappings and placed on her voice alone – such as Homeless and the more epic I Will Be – that her uniqueness is allowed to shine.
More to try:
Mariah Carey – Rainbow
Various artists - Dreamgirls OST
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