Today’s Pop Rescue from an uncertain fate, is the 2006 album Grace – the second solo album by British singer and rapper, and Blue boy-band member, Simon Webbe. Will this album make you feel Seventeen again, or will it make you feel Blue? Read on…
This 12 track CD opens with the upbeat strummed guitars of lead single Coming Around Again. Simon is soon on the microphone and his voice is rich and full, and not unlike that of Tunde of Lighthouse Family. The vocal harmonies from his gospel-like backing singers help to keep the song evolving, and the result is a truly uplifting and cheerful start to the album The track reached #12 on the UK singles chart.
Next is third single Seventeen, and this takes us down a few notches. It’s a more mellow track with a gentle subdued beat. Simon’s vocals are also softer here, and the rhythm helps to make this song feel quite catchy too.
Sunshine (Love Like That) is next and this continues the somewhat mellow music and warm soulful vocals. Here though, Simon is flanked by some really nice strings, and DJ Kofi drops in some record scratches. The chorus has Terry Webster on vocals, which gives us a different vocal sound – played here as if it’s an old record sample. It’s another really nice song.
Then it’s Go To Sleep, and this gives us a lower set of vocals and more reflective narrative lullaby-esque song. Whilst it tiptoes along quietly, the result is another mellow song, but sometimes a little bit dreary too.
Ain’t True To Yourself follows this, and lifts the mood and tempo slightly. The shuffling percussion and backing vocals allow Simon’s soulful voice to slide from verse to chorus and back again with great ease.
Following that is Don’t Wanna Be That Man, which gives us a track loaded with strumming guitars. Again, the Lighthouse Family vibes are strong here, but Simon does have plenty of time and space in this mellow song to show off the softer end of his vocal range. It’s a nice track.
Next up is Angel (My Life Began With You) and the pace and the drummer takes the challenge here. Here we have Simon singing about what can only really be the birth of his daughter Alanah (who also gets the dedication in the album artwork). There’s a nice but occasionally haunting female vocal line in the back, like a demon that needs to be held back, but over all, it’s another nice track.
That’s followed by Fool For You, and this track has a load of great interesting vocal layers, that give us Simon shining here with his vocal agility – and whilst musically it might be more mellow music, the track stands out well amongst the others for being interesting.
My Soul Pleads For You is next, and stood as the album’s second single, and the vocal performance reminds me of some kind of Sting. Then, the track plunges into something that sounds like a missing Blue track. Unfortunately, the track fell outside the UK Top 40, stumbling at #45.
Then it’s the reflective That’s The Way It Goes. Gentle beats, handclaps, synthpads and guitars usher us towards the first chorus. Simon gets to show off his vocal harmonies and soaring vocals against this mellow track, and he sounds great.
Following that is Take Your Time, and this brings the tempo up, and laden with vocal harmonies, it gives us a nice little foot-tapping catchy track.
The album closes with the titular and final single (part of a double-A side single) Grace. The InVoice Singers return here to give us a nice vocally epic song. Simon does seem to be singing his heart out here wonderfully, taking every chance to throw his vocals high. More DJ scratched samples feature here, and they sit perfectly alongside the vocals and gently plodding beat. Unfortunately the track reached #36 in the UK when released with non-album track, Ride The Storm, and deserved to reach higher. It’s a nice track to close the album with.
Verdict
Over all, this album is a really nice warm and souful album, and one that Blue or Lighthouse Family fans are likely to enjoy.
Whilst this mellow approach is pretty consistent throughout, there are some stand-out moments – opening track Coming Around Again is a really cheerful starting track, the mixture of vocals on Sunshine (Love Like That) and Fool For You all offer interest in their varying and catchy vocals, and Grace is the perfect closing track too.
As for low points, this album is much like a Dido or Lighthouse Family album, in that there’s nothing here that you’re likely to dislike, just simply shrug your shoulders to, or instantly forget because it genuinely is ‘nice’ and the use of some very similar sets of instruments from song-to-song, makes it indistinguishable at times.
- POP RESCUE 2024 ALBUM RATING: 3 / 5
- 2006 UK ALBUM CHART PEAK: #11, certified Gold by the BPI.
- POP RESCUE COST: 50p from a Marie Curie shop.
