Infinite Possibilities

FORMERLY WITH the New York soul/hip-hop combo Groove Theory, Amel Larrieux is no stranger to the world of soulful sounds. 'Infinite Possibilities' is her first solo effort, and it sees her trade confidently in r&b.

Larrieux has plenty of songwriting talent and the elegant musical arrangements, while subdued, are always interesting and ambitious. A fusion of hip-hop and jazz is skillfully blended with African and Eastern rhythms. Interestingly, the sound is reminiscent of UK acid jazz (at its best, I hasten to add). Vocally, she has the aptitude of a seasoned session singer, but also enough personality to make things interesting.

When she's not addressing spiritual themes, Larrieux tends to stick to traditional romantic excursions. All tracks were written and co-produced together with Larrieux's husband Laru, and this has added a certain intimacy to the whole production keeping the songs firmly away from sentimentality.

On the whole, a confident and very classy debut.