Estelle: Shine
Monday, 31 Mar 2008 18:33
Made in west London, polished in America: Estelle and Shine
Atlantic, out now.
In a nutshell...
British rap with an American makeover
What's it all about?
West Londoner Estelle is back with her latest release Shine with an added American twist. The talented 27-year-old has teamed up with some of the best names in the business and is now topping the charts with her newly adjusted sound.
Working with such talent as global hip-hop superstar Kanye West, Black Eyed Peas' very own Will.i.am and even John Legend, who made the west London rapper the first signing to his Homeschool label; Estelle is now conquering the charts with American Boy her collaboration with Kanye West. Who said dreams do not come true?
The album is a great mix of neo soul to classic reggae added with some funk. Shine has its fair share of summer anthems such as the great No Substitute Love which is a combination of George Michael's Faith with some girly attitude mixed with some 'pass the Pina Colada style beats.
All 12 tracks are extremely enjoyable with some more Americanised then others.
The opening track is the funk infused Wait a minute (Just a touch), in which Will.i.am employs a sequence of samples from Screamin' Jay Hawkins' I Put a Spell On You. Cee-Lo adds to the collection on the Motown inspired upbeat penultimate track Pretty Please and Mark Ronson constructs a ska pop sound for the brilliant Magnificent. John Legend features on the slower tempo hybrid You are.
The best number on the album has to be the sultry rocking reggae beat Come Over where Estelle entices the listener with her melodic vocals.
Who's it by?
Shine is the second offering from Estelle Swaray, the west London born starlet who was previously signed to V2 Records. Some may remember Estelle's previous attempts up the success ladder, when she released her autobiographical single 1980s in 2004 which failed to please the ear of the record buying public. Estelle's next offering was Free which featured So Solid Crew member Mega Man (who?), which sort of gives you an idea where the talented star was heading with V2 Records.
But, fed up with conforming to the stereotype of a Brit hip-hop MC and steering towards the grime scene, it looks like Estelle has won the music lottery and has been recognised for what she does best. It's just a shame V2 records didn't take her talent seriously when they had the chance; this seems to be a growing problem with the urban scene in the UK.
Estelle has now been signed to John Legends Home School label after bumping into Kanye West at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles House in LA. Who said fast food is bad for you? She knocked up the courage to approach the hip-hop star and requested an introduction with Legend. She then also got the chance to join Legend on his European tour.
As an example...
"Heart-sore from all his lies, and feeling understandably embarrassed that she ever believed him to be anything more than a scandalous jerk." - No Substitute Love
"Now this reminds me of summer/I'm talking about the English summer/You know where it rains. "- In the Rain
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
With such well established names behind her and some great comparisons made among musical legends such as Lauren Hill and Mary J Blige, it seems like the awards should be rolling in, in 2008.
Although this wouldn't be the first on the cabinet for Ms Estelle, after claiming a Mobo gong for best newcomer in 2004.
She already has been tipped as one to watch for 2008 by the US music bible Rolling Stone.
What the others say
"Twinkling, breezy and unintentionally funny thanks to guest Kanye West's verses about British phenomena like Ribena and Wags, it typifies the album's uplifting vibe. The Londoner has constructed something lovable in Shine." - Caroline Sullivan, the Guardian
"Sadly, for all its merits, Shine has an achilles heel, slipping into midtempo blandness around two-thirds through. We're left wondering, 'What's happened to Estelle's sass?'" - Nick Levine, Digital Spy
So is it any good?
Estelle brings back critically-respected rap music without ruining the genre's ego.
Shine exceeds all expectations from what to anticipate from this Brit rapper.
Even with the stateside makeover Estelle seems to be sticking to her roots and definitely pushes the bar in making Shine as unique as possible.
Although the album includes mainly smooth American-sounding production, Estelle's gritty Englishness hasn't entirely vanished and she marks her personality neatly across all 12 tracks on this album. Congratulations Estelle, especially when you have ten different producers shaping your sound.
This album provides Estelle with new a new type of fan and unquestionably pushes her towards a mainstream audience. What about Estelle's loyal fans that have stuck by her through out? Her new sound might deter her former fans from making any purchases, as her sound could be classified as quite typical of those who convert to the American style. Conversely, Shine certainly shines bright enough, to make you consider pulling out the shades.
The album appears to be foolproof with a truly original combination of sounds mixed with sassy rap lyrics and soft vocals, there guarantees to be one that everyone will take pleasure in hearing.
8.5/10
Natalie Gurvitz
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