13 tracks · 46 min
From her cover version of Dionne Warwick's "Walk on By" to her Bridget Jones theme "Out of Reach" to her brilliantly executed Motown pastiche "Give Me a Little More Time," the musical world's most famous eye-patch wearer, Gabrielle, was a successful exponent of retro-soul-pop long before the likes of Amy Winehouse and Duffy had even recorded a note. Following a disappointing country reinvention with previous album Play to Win, her fifth studio release, Always, sees her return to the trademark sound that helped to sell a million copies of 1999's Rise and her subsequent Greatest Hits. But far from being a step backwards, its 12 tracks, largely co-written with regular collaborator Julian Gallagher, actually provide some of the most inventive material of her 15-year career. "Love Me Like You Do" is an infectious toe-tapping stomper with shades of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound production, "Every Little Teardrop" is a laid-back summery midtempo number featuring a guitar riff reminiscent of Lenny Kravitz's "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over," and the title track is an intriguing blend of Kanye West-style helium vocal samples and orchestral jazz-funk. Not averse to the odd sample (the original v…
