Who I Am [ECD] - Beverley Knight

Author's product rating:   

Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency of tracks
Value for Money

Advantages:	superb voice
Disadvantages:	may not be everyone's cup of tea

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Over the past 7 years, Beverley Knight has established herself as Britain's foremost female RnB artist, and one of the most creditable UK acts in any genre. Both her debut, 'The B Funk' and her MOBO award winner 'Prodigal Sista' were both highly acclaimed, prompting Beverley's fan-base to grow slowly. A series of live shows and her recent high-profile tour with Jamiroquai have seen Knight become more established in the music scene, and she recently enjoyed her first Top 10 hit with her 10th Top 75 single 'Shoulda Woulda Coulda'. This single has received a huge amount of airplay, and was A-listed on the play schedules of both Radio 1 and Radio 2 - a far cry from when she began her career and struggled to be heard.

Now being more heavily promoted on the Parlaphone Rhythm Series label, Beverley's third album, 'Who I Am' looks set to finally generate the sorts of sales she deserves. It entered the UK chart at #7, one of the highest placings for a British RnB album for a very long time (and no, Blue are not RnB).

'Get Up!'
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The first track is the single 'Get Up!', which scraped the Top 20 when it was released last November. This did somewhat disappointingly considering the hype that had surrounded it. It was a Jamaican dancehall 'call and response' type song built around a chant of 'get up get up!'. Slightly more edgy than her previous work, it looked as though Knight had taken a new direction, although with the exception of 'Whatever's Clever' it is untypical of this album.

Having said that, 'Get Up!' remains a fine song, and shows off Bev's talents to the max. She appeared on many TV shows with this song, and gave an energetic performance every time, although I think that the like versions she sang lost a little bit of oomph with the production taken away. However, the original and best is a great way to kick this album off.

9/10

'Shoulda Woulda Coulda'
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This is the one that everyone now knows. A simple pop song, 'Shoulda?' tells the story of how Bev and her long-time boyfriend split up, and about juggling a career with a relationship. Very autobiographical, I first heard an acapella version on the Trevor Nelson 'Smoking Room' on Radio 1 late one Sunday evening, and was hooked.

Upon hearing the studio version for the first time, I was a bit disappointed by the poppy production, and it seemed to miss the impact of the stripped down song that I'd heard initially. However, it has since grown on me, and I think it was probably a wise choice to release it, as it has given her exposure on a wider scale.

A bit hit, I think its poignancy struck a chord with many people, and it is one of those songs that you find yourself humming on the way to work. One of her finest songs to date, I reckon?

10/10

'Shape Of You'
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Another slowie this one, in a very similar mould to 'Shoulda Woulda Coulda', with the song revolving around Knight's vocals. Another song about her break-up, it is a bit less intense than the previous track.

Whilst many British RnB acts choose to imitate an American style of production, Beverley's sound remains very British, and this song demonstrates that fact. A nice gentle one to follow the big hit.

9/10

'Fallen Soldier'
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This is an emotional song about Stephen Lawrence, the London teenager who was murdered in 1993. With lyrics about racism and the lack of change legally and politically since the incident, it is an unusual subject to tackle. I think that the sentiments are well placed, but I don't think that it's one of the strongest tracks on the album.

7/10

'Beautiful Contradiction'
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The title says it all really - a great collaboration between Bev and Musiq Soulchild (who's debut 'Aijuswannasing' is well worth checking out too), it is a soulful duet between two very talented people. I think that there is a possibility that this will be released as a single at some point in the future.

Nice lyrics, with a mellow backing track, this is a perfect song just to chill to and is a return to the upbeat after 'Fallen Soldier'. This is perhaps the most traditional RnB song on the album, and also the most American sounding, although for once, this isn't a bad thing, as the slick sound is pulled off in style without sounding at all stale.

10/10

'Hurricane Jane'
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Another lilting RnB song that showcases Beverley's amazing voice. Once again, the production is very minimal, and contrasts to the over produced mush of some of her contemporaries.

Like all the other songs off the album, it simply oozes class, although I think that it lacks the killer hook to make it into an absolute classic

7/10

'Same (As I Ever Was)
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Bev gets sassy on this one - a feminist anthem about her inner-strength. When I saw her perform this live, she was pulling off moves that would make Tina Turner blush?

Again, it has Knight's distinctive vocals dominating, although this one is a bit faster than some of the other tracks off the album, with a naggingly memorable chorus.

8/10

'Whatever's Clever'
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This track will be the third release off the album, probably due to come out in June / July time. An absolute corker, it is in the same vein as 'Get Up' in that it is a dancefloor filler and gets in your head instantly with a speedily sung chorus. A bit poppier than some of the other ones on the album, it gets better with every listen. Hopefully, it was have as much success as the previous two singles off the album.

9/10

'Ambition (It All Comes 2 U)
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Another bracketed song, although it is one of the less memorable tracks on the album. A bit more commercial than some of the soulier ones of 'Who I Am', it lacks the killer punch, although it meanders along pleasantly enough.

7/10

'Bestseller Mystery'
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Oh yes. Here we go. This is a very old-school type song, harking back to a bluesy sixties number. Just Bev's vocals, a bit of bass, and a bit of percussion, it keeps moving up a gear every start/stop chorus. A fabulously structured song, with a beautiful lyrics about unrequited love, this is one of those hidden gems that keeps on getting better and better with every listen.

By the end of the song, she sounds orgasmic as it reaches is crescendo. A brilliant introduction to Beverley Knight for those who are interested in hearing some clever traditional singing / songwriting.

10/10

'Gold'
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A bit more downtempo this one, this is blues club material. A slowie, Knight sings with her own brand of emotion and honesty. The dated production on it does make it sound a bit like a Gladys Knight track from the 70's, but because her vocals are so good, it still stands her out from amongst the crowd.

8/10

I understand that 'Gold' is the last track available on the album commercially. However, it is here that I confess that my copy is a gatefold promo, complete with postcards (!) and it has a couple of extras?

'Who I Am'
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This track is an acapella, showing off her exquisite singing (can you see a pattern emerging here?!). Not as good as the other a cappella 'Good Morning World' from 'Prodigal Sista', but a nice enough track to end with.

7/10

'Shoulda Woulda Coulda' (Philly Mix)
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I'm not a huge fan of songs being on albums twice, and this mix doesn't really do a lot for the song. An a cappella version of the track would have worked a bit better than this, which adds a bit off guitar to the vocals, but takes out all of the other elements which made the single version so great.

6/10

Enhanced Section
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This has the video of 'Get Up!' - a nice touch for this promo. This sees Bev doing climbing up the walls in a sweaty underground club, encapsulating the track extremely well. This is also available on the CD2 version of the single.

Summary
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This album is practically without fault. Impeccable and passionate vocals, and some corking songs. It takes its influences from a multitude of areas, and really does confirm Beverley Knight as one of Britain's top singer-songwriters in any genre. It's chart placing suggests that this is now being accepted by the record buying public too.

Having said that, it isn't quite as consistently high in quality as 'Prodigal Sista', and I think that this has been reflected by tepid reviews from much of the music press (pretty much 6/10 across the board from what I've read). Even so, it really does leave the competition dead in the water, and comes highly recommended to any music lover.