Jill Scott: Who Is Jill Scott? (Hidden Beach)
If this lovely slice of fresh urban soul is any indication of what's to come, "who is Jill Scott?" is not a question which will be posed a year from now. Her solo shot after collaborations and tours with The Roots, Common and, bizarrely, Will Smith, Philadelphia native Jill Scott is ready to take on those Erykah Badu and Lauren Hill comparisons. She can certainly despatch them to one side, as the slinky Slowly Surely, languid Love Rain and beautifully pitched A Long Walk show. Apart from Scott's sweet purr, the beats are spot on, emphasising and understating the main attraction by turns, while the rhymes are brimming with quality. A soul album which doesn't rely on production smoke and mirrors: get ready to dig this one again and again.
- Jim Carroll
Jon Secada: Better Part of Me (Epic)
Jon Secada has been listening to La Vida Loca. At least that's the impression one gets from this album's opening track, the ebullient summer anthem Stop; but then, the man has composed tunes for the likes of Ricky Martin and Gloria Estefan. As for this, his fifth album, it's less jazz-based than before, more dance-pop, less interesting as a result. Songs like Break The Walls are so formulaic, lyrically and musically, they fade to insignificance before the first chorus. That said, they'll probably be huge hits for some boy band. There's No Sunshine Anymore is better - beautifully sung and seemingly sincere. A nice album for a nice, sunny afternoon: but nothing more.
- Joe Jackson
ESG: A South Bronx Story (Universal Sound)
ESG are one of those acts who very nearly got away. The New Yorkers enjoyed some time in the sun in the early 1980s, when their acid-wash mix of house, hip-hop and punk attracted the likes of Factory Records and the Paradise Garage gang, but it has been through sampling that the ESG tale has really spread. The Scroggins sisters were ahead of their time, providing breaks and beats without realising what they were doing. Of course, samples don't always pay the bills - so this compilation should go some way to rebalancing the books. Tracks such as Moody, You're No Good and UFO are dizzy in their timelessness, sparse and minimal yet lovingly funky in between. Proof once again that sometimes you do have to go back to the future.
- Jim Carroll