Here’s an oddity – a quiet storm, love concept album from a woman’s point of view. The woman in question here is Heidi Spiliopoulos and working with producer Steve Wellington she’s put together a feminine equivalent to the stuff that Barry White, Marvin Gaye and Teddy P did so well back in the day. The problem, though, is that Heidi’s voice is clearly not in the same league as those aforementioned superstars. Don’t get me wrong, it’s pleasant enough but a little lightweight and it’s no coincidence that the album’s strongest track is a duet with someone called Von Qwest. The song in question is ‘You Know I’m Ready’. Written by Andrew Roachford, it has a steady mid-tempo rhythm and might pleasure some sophisticated soul dancers. In truth, there’s little else here that would detain them – unless of course their dancing was of a more horizontal kind. Yes, there are lashings of quiet storm moments here. Gentle songs like ‘Love’ and ‘You Take Me There’ have a real lazy, laconic feel to them and remind me of Leon Ware in his ‘Musical Massage’ era. They’re all about creating an overall atmosphere and as such don’t stand too strongly on their own. ‘Only Love Goes On’ is maybe the LP’s most complex cut – almost jazzy, while the spoken ‘People Unite’ reminds us that real love is not all about getting it on. However my contention is that the love (carnal or social) concept LP has been done better many times before and will be done better in the future. In the meantime, though, if you want to check it out go to www.soulchoonz.com.
(BB) 2/5
