Reviewed by Alastair McCollum

Jessica Clemmons comes as a carefully packaged "pop/soul diva," as she is referred to on her website. With UK media appearances pushing her R&B inflected pop on the British scene, including BBC Radio 2 and a series of "club gigs," there is no doubt that there are high hopes for her musical career. The album is enjoyable and relaxed with flashes of energy and Jessica's powerful voice suited to big pop ballads such as "Promise You", the mellow yet upbeat "Open Up Your Eyes", the enthusiastic dance groove of "Hypnotise Me" and the bouncy bass-led "That's All There Is". Clemmons shares songwriting duties on six tracks with Danish writer John Gordon, who also takes programming, guitar and keyboard credits and she is produced by John Ravenhall both of whom influence the sound and feel of this debut collection. It is "big pop" with a strong beat, some lush arrangements (check out the strings on "I Can Do Anything With You") and more than a hint of Beyonce. The weakest part of this CD is the lyrical content, or lack of it, in the songs, which repeat the general theme of "you are the one for me," neither offensive nor particularly uplifting. At least the lyrics don't indulge in the sexual obsession of most chart hits. But then they don't really say very much either.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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