Audio CD review:
Gabrielle - Rise

Gabrielle - Rise

Band: Gabrielle Title: Rise Rating: Release Date: 15 August, 2000 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Sunshine 2: Rise 3: When A Woman 4: Tell Me What You Dream 5: 5 O'Clock 6: Should I Stay 7: Over You 8: Falling 9: If You Love Me 10: Independence Day 11: Gonna Get Better

Editoral Review S. There has always been a disconnection between the musical tastes of the U. and the U. K. A case in point is the career of R&B/pop singer Gabrielle, whose third CD, Rise, came out in the fall of 1999 in her native England and is finally available stateside. Cognoscenti of the U. K. brand of R&B (which on the whole tends to be less formulaic than its American counterpart) might remember that Gabrielle scored in the mid-'90s with the infectious club track "Dreams. " Yet, despite that international chart topper and her smoky voice, her lovely 1996 self-titled album failed to make any noise in the U. S. Although it's not as satisfying as Gabrielle, Rise is a solid soulful effort. Once again, Gabrielle's semi-self help lyrics are married to state-of-the-art (but not obvious) beats: the title track uses the melody line from Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," while the pulsating "5 O'clock" employs a bouncy Latin-tinged rhythm that conjures up Big Pun's "Still Not A Player. " There's an airy, buoyant quality to the tracks and an almost wistful vibe that's totally modern yet has a strong loyalty to the legacy of soul when songs and singers mattered. Groundbreaking? Certainly not, but Rise is a refreshing antidote to R&B by the numbers--and proof that America doesn't have the patent on soul. --Amy Linden .. You can see a complete list of all Gabrielle discography, or go back to the Gabrielle tabs