Music > Album Reviews

Selah Sue - Reason

18/05/16

This is another European 'pop' album given a UK release following success last year on the continent. Reason is the follow-up to singer-songwriter Selah Sue's eponymous 2011 debut, with both going to number one in her native Belgium, and scoring big hits in France and Holland.

With her distinctive soulful voice the debut album positioned itself into territory colonised by Fergie, Lauryn Hill or even Amy Winehouse. The follow-up now does exactly what you might expect four years on – keeping elements of the original successful formula, then fusing in electro-soul, trip hop and house beats in an attempt at catch-up.

The result is contemporary, but not ground-breaking. It chops about a bit, partly as a result of mixing producers, yet still provides a showcase for a voice that can switch between ethereal and emotionally powerful. It is way more than just a Eurovision-style pop-factory product – there's a collaboration with Kwabs on Alive, for example, and a rap from Childish Gambino on Together. Ultimately, though, it lacks a wow factor, or a consistency to really distinguish. Only the title track is a throwback to what was possibly a more impressive and promising debut.

 5/10