CD review Jamelia: Thank You (From Barry And District News)

CD review Jamelia: Thank You

IT SEEMS as though watching from the side-lines as R&B music sped past her gave Jamelia a new lease of life, so admirably shown in the new release Thank You.

She has returned after taking three years out to concentrate on having a baby, and she now seems keen to impress on the world that her talent is still as fresh as ever it was.

Too often, the styles and sounds of a particular field of music leave you with the impression that they have all rolled straight off a production line. But with Jamelia's almost shy sexuality shining through imaginative lyrics and cracking backing tracks, this is a definite sharp edge to this album.

There are 14 tracks on the CD, and truthfully, they do not have an ounce of repetition between them.

The title of the album is taken from the second track, which was the second single to enter the charts after the huge hit Superstar. Thank You showcases Jamelia's remarkable songwriting maturity, pairing a tale of domestic violence with beautifully hopeful pop, without resorting to overwrought slush.

The slick bounce of Club Hoppin will have you moving, as will Off Da Endz's shimmy and the seductive Taxi, which all come with hypnotic choruses hard to shift from your mind.

Such is the strength of the new Jamelia that even when big-name US guest stars Rah Digga and Bubba Sparxxx roll up, she's still the main attraction.

This has to be one of the freshest sounding R&B albums for a long time, and proves that Jamelia is most certainly a contender on the international R&B scene.