Tea & Sympathy

British R&B is on the rise, what with Jamelia conquering the charts and many other bands that have given life to union jack soul. One of those bottom-dwellers that are sung heroes is Beverley Knight. Entering a market that is not very friendly to soul and excelling throughout time. One might remember Knight from her past victories, such as her debut album Prodigal Sista, which made the MOBOs happy but failed to cross borders, stating this is not to undermine the quality of this soultress's efforts.
Who I Am, her second album, managed to establish profound ground and further launch her name. Garnering hits such as the loud perseverance anthem “Get Up!” and the ballad “Gold.” She also notched up another hit with “Shoulda Coulda Woulda,” empowering many and building a number of admirers. Who I Am was a sophomore effect that did not suffer from the infamous downfall.
Knight revisits the charts with the new hit song “Come as You Are,” which surprises everyone as it is a tribute to rock music and is a strikingly defined tune.
This third album, Affirmation, is both a departure from older albums and an enhancement of previous styles. As “Not Too Late for Love” portrays an escalation from latter singles in the way of soul balladry.
There are some stand-out tracks on Affirmation. The breath-taking “Tea & Sympathy” takes center stage along with the melancholy bliss of “Salvador,” which displays a lot of pain for a long lost friend from AIDS.
The ground-stomper on this release is without doubt the Robyn cover “Keep This Fire Burning,” with its tight beats and lyrics it is destined to become a single.
Other triumphs include 'Straight Jacket' and 'Fatal Factor.' Otherwise the album settles with mediocre ditties like 'First Time' and 'No One Ever Loves In Vain.'
Knight has released her best album yet, however is will be hard to determine whether she will marvel in the world of Javines and Jamelias. “Keep This Fire Burning” is the treat that describes Beverly. It is a track strong on melody and lyrics, but doesn't concentrate on the general mass's yearning for something glitzy and hip. Knight is not afraid to play with beats and genres to carve out beats that are consistent and delicious. Sometimes Knight's balladry turns out to be flavorless and MOR. However, the other tracks make up for it.
Affirmation is an evolution to the better.

Music: Salvador - Beverley Knight