Evolution

OLETA ADAMS: "Evolution" (Fontana)

Female soul singers are ten-a-penny these days. They evoke, they emote, and they fake insincerity very well. Good, believable female soul singers are, however, a rare commodity, and when you come across one as accomplished as Oleta Adams it's more of a shock than a surprise.

Discovered by Roland Orz-something-or-other from the now defunct Tears For Fears in a Kansas nightclub five years ago, Oleta Adams has gone from being a cabaret crowd pleaser to a twice Grammy-nominated soul singer of the highest order. It's no small achievement on her part that in a short period of time, she's snapping at the high heels of Whitney Houston, Barbara Streisand, and Anita Baker. On the evidence contained on here, it's a wonder that she's still so far behind . . . Evolution should change that.

Oleta (does she have Irish blood in her? Should it be O'leta??) belongs in the classic soul singer category - big ballads of inestimable leg-over proportions coupled with a voice that's as powerful as it is silky. The two well known cover versions included here - James Taylor's 'Don't Let Me Lonely Tonight' and Billy Joel's 'New York State Of Mind' may be reminders of her svelte nightclub-appeasing past, but they serve a purpose to those sad and sorry people who are uncomfortable with unfamiliar soul material.

The originals, of which 'My Heart Won't Lie', 'Hold Me For A While', and 'When Love Comes To The Rescue' are prime examples of modern soul purity, are songs that will ultimately serve Oleta better, at least in her career and credibility stakes.

Overall, there's very little wrong with Evolution. It's an almost perfect example of the power of soul music to soothe and seduce. Watch out for a baby boom in nine months' time . . .

• Tony Clayton-Lea