UK songstress Jessie Ware's debut sounds both timeless and contemporary and puts to rest any notions that she's a mere Adele knock-off
JESSIE WARE/ DEVOTION
After lending her vocals to tracks by UK trip-hop producers SBTRKT and Joker, the 27-year-old Jessie Ware stepped out of the shadows and embarked on a well-deserved solo career. The result of that brave move is Devotion, an 11-track collection of bittersweet tales of love, heartbreak and everything else that falls between.
But first, let's address the elephant in the room: the inevitable comparisons with the current soul superpower Adele.
Despite a few similarities _ gender, place of origin, bluesy tendencies _ Jessie Ware and Adele are two completely different artists who have nothing in common stylistically. Adele ascends to the top of her lungs while Ware whispers and warbles. The former's music makes an instantaneous impact, whereas the latter's takes its own sweet time to flourish. 21, Adele's latest, is very much pop-oriented while Devotion leans towards old school smooth jazz.
A more fitting comparison would be to Sade, a British soul singer whose classics include Smooth Operator, Your Love is King and By Your Side.
The opening title track sets the tone of the album nicely, serving up broody ambient beats and atmospheric synthesisers while she softly pleas ``Don't leave me in the dark, don't leave me this way/'Cos nothing's making sense today''. The plaintive melancholia remains in the following track, Wildest Moments, on which she muses: ``Maybe in our wildest moments/We could be the greatest, we could be the greatest/Maybe in our wildest moments/We could be the worst of all.''
Among the ballads, there are inventive gems as well. The ultra smooth Running sparkles with synth-laced intro, horn stabs and guitar riffs that seem to poke out of nowhere. The skittering UK garage-inspired 110% operates on a sample from Big Punisher's Dream Shatterer. Seemingly taking a cue from Robyn's Dancing On My Own, the track has Ware seeking solace in an unlikely place, singing ``I'll keep the dancefloor warm but I'm still dancing on my own''. Still Love Me and No To Love are just as intriguing, with the former boasting effects loops and tribal drums and the latter shimmering guitar lines and guest rap verses (Ware at times even sounds like the late diva Whitney Houston).
Devotion is truly a versatile listen. It sincerely addresses such a universal sentiment _ the one that stems from love (or lack thereof) without resorting to overwrought drama, gimmicks or dubstep breakdowns. She doesn't bend over backwards to succumb to musical trends to win over fans. Instead, it's her compelling, all-encompassing sound that, while largely focusing on soul, further fuses R&B, disco, funk and even soft rock, making this record a collection of good music that anyone can easily get into and appreciate.
THE PLAYLIST
Rita Ora/How We Do (Party)
Currently sitting at the No1 spot in the UK charts, How We Do (Party) is the first single by British pop songstress Rita Ora from her debut album ORA. Featuring lyrics from Notorious BIG's 1993 single Party and Bullsh**, the track pretty much advocates exactly that and then some. It's one of those feel-good jams that will fit right in between getting dressed up and going out on a Friday night. Vocally, Ora embodies that same built-for-pop quality as Jessie J and Katy Perry, while looks-wise, she could be from the house of Rihanna _ a combination that should fare well in the pop sphere.
Two Door Cinema Club/Sleep Alone
Their 2010 debut Tourist Historyhas spawned a handful of indie pop gems that became a staple at a lot of indie nights, especially here in Bangkok (think What You Know, Something Good Can Work, I Can Talk, to mention a few). Now, to get fans psyched up for their return, the Irish threesome crank out Sleep Alone, a pumping new single taken from their upcoming second album, Beacon. The track has a tighter sound, but is still pretty much classic TDCC, with infectious guitar lines and delicious hooks. Alex Trimble sings more like a man (as opposed to sounding like a boy, not a woman) this time around, and to us, it's a good enough improvement.
OneRepublic/Feel Again
The American pop/rock five piece behind smash hits such as Apologize, Stop And Stareand Good Lifeare back with Feel Again, the first taste of their upcoming third studio album. ``It's been a long time coming since I've seen your face/I've been everywhere and back trying to replace/Everything that I had till my feet went numb/Praying like a fool that's been on a run/Heart still beating but it's not working,'' sings frontman Ryan Tedder alongside stadium-size drums and catchy hand-clapping reminiscent of Florence and the Machine's Dog Days Are Over. The song also features top-notch songwriting from Tedder (who's worked with people such as Adele, Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez), and carries an optimistic message about getting back up and embracing what life has to offer once again.
Calvin Harris (featuring Example)/We'll Be Coming Back
Last time we wrote about Scottish producer/artist Calvin Harris, we expressed our gripe with the one-size-fits-all nature of his music (or remixes for that matter). On his latest cut, We'll Be Coming Back, however, Harris is poised on redeeming himself with fresher beats and lyrics that talk about something else beyond the usual debauchery. ``Standing in the light till it's over, out of our minds/Someone has to draw a line/We'll be coming back for you one day, we'll be coming back for you one day,'' he sings over the wistful, uplifting melodies. We'll Be Coming Back will be included on Harris' third studio album, 18 Months.
George Michael/White Light
Following his near-death experience while battling pneumonia, the former Wham! member comes back even stronger, candidly singing about it on his new single, White Light. ``One more pill, just one more beer, one less star in the atmosphere,'' he begins to sing before bursting out ``I'm alive, I'm alive!'' during the chorus. With string arrangements looming in the background, he goes on to question his survival: ``Was it science that saved me, or the way that you prayed for me? Either way, I thank you, I'm alive.'' Pretty heavy stuff, but if anything, he manages to make Auto-Tune cool again after Cher did it on her 1998 seminal classic Believe.
