Affirmation

Apparently, this is Beverley Knight’s attempt at doing rock. I won’t cause the singer any further embarrassment by relaying the cited influences for this album, but suffice to say John Bonham would be rotating in his grave. The only song that even remotely resembles rock is the first single ‘Come As You Are’ and even so it’s only the kind of rock that people who want to straddle credibility and sales-ability play.

Enter Guy Chambers, whose influence is evident on the four tracks he co-wrote and produced. Beverley Knight is well-respected in the UK and has won numerous awards, but that has never translated into significant album sales, so obviously Chambers was brought in in the hope that his Midas touch would help position the album in the charts.

Unfortunately there’s no ‘Angels’ to be found here, but nevertheless a few tracks could make a small dent in the charts. Knight’s voice is uniformly impressive and that’s the one thing that really sets her apart. Take away her soulful vocal abilities and you’re left with a handful of pretty mediocre tracks and only a few memorable ones, like the pick-me-up summer tune ‘Keep This Fire Burning’, some heartfelt ballads and the pop-tastic title track.

This is Beyonce without the booty, Pink without the attitude, Kelis without the lollipop, but it’s a solid album that showcases Knight’s talent and might just earn her the standing of a British Anastacia – not very innovative, but talented and mature enough to guarantee staying power.