Soul Express Album Review  Buy this album from our CD Shop
CHANDRA CURRELLEY The only song on here that didn't really move me was her cover of Marvin Gaye's “I Want You”. Not that it's a bad version or anything, but I was just indifferent to it. Skipping this, though, “You Protected My Heart” is, once absorbed, a quiet burner. Its gentle, piano-led intro leads us into some devastatingly soulful vocals. I don't think that the
Lady has ever performed this strongly and thus makes this an essential ballad. This song is of the high quality that we would have expected from the likes of Benita Arterberry in the early 1990s. “Love Again” starts of in a classic mode. We could almost be fooled into thinking that we're about to hear a rendition of “Thin Line” but we're not. This is a very jazzy-orientated groove that I can hear Phyllis Hyman executing under the helm of Norman Connors. The singing is very direct and much in the foreground. Musically we are taking real instrumentation and stripped bare to the essentials of the track. Very nice indeed. More soulful – and in tune with her SOS Band work is the moreish “Unconditional Love (Agape)” which I promise will not disappoint. We have echoes of the classic “One Of Many Nights” with the superb “Someone Made
For Me”. I wish that Chanté Moore would record this type of song as it would really suit her. I hear Marva King doing this sort of material too. It really does meet my quality benchmark. “No Secrets” ups the groove a gear and works very well. This is the most 'today' sounding of the songs on here, but it is as adult as we could wish for and then some. Contrasting with this is a very sexy, percussive number which has some slinky jazzy overtones in the vein of Me'Na. “When You Wait” sees more wonderful vocals from the Lady. This is one of my personal favourites. “Time With You” hits us with the passion and style of Shirley Marshall (or Ané as she is now known) and does not disappoint; its melody has a ghost of Al B. Sure's “Nite And Day” to it, and no bad thing either. “Sure About That” works very well too and hits a
very soulful note, and the final song ends on a jazzy, scatty, uptempo note. Both are very pleasing indeed, especially the latter. You will find copies of this on CD Baby, and worth every penny it is too!
- Barry Towler The Latest CD Reviews Albums of the Month in 2008 Albums of the Month in 2007 Albums of the Month in 2006 Albums of the Month in 2005 Albums of the Month in 2004 Albums of the Month in 2003 Albums of the Month in 2002 Albums of the Month in 2001 Albums of the Month in 2000 Albums of the Month in 1999 Albums of the Month in 1998 Albums of the Month in 1997 Other CD
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