Ever wondered if a runner up to a reality TV show would get a better deal than the winner. Here is a perfect example how reality TV changed the fortunes for 25 year old Rebecca Ferguson a second runner up on UK’s ‘X Factor’ 2010 edition.

A liverpulian, Ferguson has invited comparisons to the late Amy Winehouse, Macy Gray, Corinne Bailey - Rae and Roberta Flack with a quality that is distinctive, a voice that is crisp and fresh, and a lyrical collective that is classy, adult oriented with music directed for the soul. Her music is pop with a mix of soul and jazz influences. Produced and co-written by Adele and Duffy collaborator Eg White, Wayne Hector (Westlife) and Fraser T Smith (James Morrison), the album features heavy choruses, soulful singing, vintage arrangements upped with a modern pop production.

A fairly short album at 10 songs in just 34 minutes, the album is a collection of sorts, experienced production hands with compact arrangements, seen in songs like the piano balladry of ‘Teach Me How to Be Loved’ to ‘Fairytale (let me live my life this way)’ to more funkier stuff in Motown’s styled tunes like the punchy foot tapping ‘Mr. Bright Eyes’. Most of her songs have the added carriageway of strings, horns and an up-tempo medium paced drum beat seen in songs like ‘Fighting Suspicions’ among others. She does all this without losing focus that her voice is the focus here without which the song would hold little weight.

Co writing most of her songs with Eg White, she takes the lead speaking about a bad relationship in ‘Shoulder to Shoulder’, to wisdom on the R & B punchy ‘Glitter and Gold’ where she talks about the lure of the yellow metal and the greed for material things getting so much that you can even lose your soul. She croons beautifully on the piano based tear-jerker ‘Teach me how to be loved’.  But the best is the opener, where she croons on a high “no money, no house, no car” on the bluesy ‘Nothing’s real but love’.

Ferguson’s husky tone reaches the lows and highs with practiced ease, not forgetting the slight growls of soul power. Her voice is the hallmark on this album. You can make out how she literally talks to her audience in most of her songs,

Anyone interested in some serious music, going back to 60s and the mainstream stuff, with faultless and masterful vocals, take a listen to this new artist, capable of giving a few female stars sleepless nights. Lyrics included.

Rating: ****

Reviewed By Verus Ferreira