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DVDfever.co.uk – Jessica Clemmons: Permanent CD reviewElly Roberts reviews
Johnny Boy Records
- Released: Out Now
- Rating: 6/10
- Vote and comment on this album:View Comments
New soul-pop from Texas. Lacks Wow! factor.
With one of the best pop-soul singers in the world right now struggling to make her commercial impact in the UK Solange Knowles (Beyonces younger sis) what chance does Texas blonde-bombshell Jessica Clemmons stand?
From the CD packshot, it seems they (Johnny Boy Records) havent been too creative or, er, lavish white back ground, simple lettering and a T-pose by Jessie togged in black. So far, things dont look too good. It looks like the sort of thing youd see in some CD budget bin, if they still exist.That would seriously under-value this reasonably good album, but despite the heavyweight production behind Beyonce, Janet Jackson, R Kelly and Justin Timberlake, theres something missing that once special moment when you say, Yes!
Everything is neat and tidy, very professional and all that, but it would have paid to get some biggie songwriters to go beyond whats on offer.
Here and there, you get some very good ones like catchy country-tinged Here I Am, self-penned (echoes of Shania Twain whatever happened to the gorgeous one?) and the stylish pop gem Hypnotise Me.Elsewhere, she experiments with various styles, which for me anyway, doesnt quite work, like slushy ballad Promise You with splashes of R&B, and filler tracks (as is common with many albums, especially debuts), in this case girl-band fodder Let Me In, and dire power ballad I Can Do Anything With You.
One thing in her favour she can write her own stuff, as a collaborator at least, (theres 6 by her and co, and they are the better ones), even if shes yet to make that killer track, that this album is crying out for. Big time chances? Not much.
The verdict: Keep working on it, gal.
Weblink:jessicaclemmons.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Permanent
2. Promise You
3. Hypnotise Me
4. Let Me In
5. I Can Do Anything With You
6. Relentless
7. Open Up Your Eyes
8. Part Of You
9. Here I Am
10. Thats All There Is
11. Its Over Now
12. What Do You Think About That?View the discussion thread.blog comments powered by Disqus= 0) {query += ‘url’ + i + ‘=’ + encodeURIComponent(links[i].href) + ‘&’;}}document.write(”);})();//]]]]>]]>
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.