Think of a female vocalist who dominated the early ‘90s and chances are you’ll settle on Rochdale’s finest, Lisa Stansfield. She won Brit awards three years running, had smash hits with ‘All Around The World’, ‘Live Together’ and ‘Change’ but then success eluded her. By 1997 the hits had dried up. She once sang ‘Someday I’m Coming Back’ but with this new album, is this The Moment for Lisa’s comeback?
The album begins with a surprisingly low-key, gentle ballad called ‘Easier’ which has a smooth, effortless charm but hardly heralds a confident return. This is swiftly followed by the superior ‘Treat Me Like A Woman’ – an up tempo Celine Dionesque number in which Stansfield coquettishly teases, “Girls like tea / Girls like me / Some girls like everything that they see.” These two opening tracks form double a-sides of the first single from this album, which suggests a degree of uncertainty on the record company’s part as to how to promote this record.
It must have been a dilemma for Lisa, her new producer Trevor Horn and her new record label, ZTT: do they stick to the soul-lite formula that gave her those original hits or do they reinvent Stansfield with a new sound?
The Moment tries to have it both ways. Lisa Stansfield’s warm, soulful and distinctive voice is back - and in great shape. But The Moment has a more commercial, pop-orientated sound than Coldcut’s urban dancebeats or the r’n’b stylings of her multi-selling Affection album.
An inspired cover of Prefab Sprout’s ‘When Love Breaks Down’ is a great example where old and new combine successfully. It is a classic Stansfield performance, belting one instant, sensitive the next, accompanied by a driving, infectious Trevor Horn symphony of popsound.
Unfortunately, the album is top heavy with a sludge of ballads. A by the numbers ‘Say It To Me Now’ leaves Lisa floundering to inject some feeling or emotion into the song as the bombastic, lumpen guitar-backing plods on.
‘He Touches Me’ could be written off as a bland filler were it not for the distractions afforded by the toe-curling lyrics, “No crazy dreams / No limousines (baby)”, or the weird Lulu-style vocals.
Although beautifully sung, ‘Lay Your Hands On Me’ is ruined by dated production that wouldn’t be out of place on an eighties Whitney Houston album or on a Disney soundtrack. Horn sounds as if he has little understanding how to support Stansfield’s voice. In fact, as the indifferent ballads pile up, the listener could be forgiven for wondering if Horn has produced these backings specifically for Stansfield’s album at all.
Fortunately, the album’s magnificent title track, ‘The Moment’ restores some drive into the whole affair. Described as a “ballad and then some” by Lisa herself, it is the standout track, epic in scale and range, powerfully sung and with the dynamism needed to restore Stansfield as a force to be reckoned with.
‘Take My Heart’ is a full-voiced, belter which somewhat outstays its welcome – all sound and fury which will doubtlessly boost the sales of neurophen. In contrast, the self-penned ‘Love Without A Name’ is a pretty little ballad which hits the emotional mark far more effectively with much less effort.
The ballsy and defiant stomper, ‘Takes A Woman To Know’, rings truer to Stansfield’s gutsiness and rawness and rounds off the album with a taste of what could have been.
The Moment serves well to remind us of Lisa’s unquestionable vocal talent, but by serving up a soufflé of lightweight ballads, ill-supported by Trevor Horn’s generic and indifferent production, this may not give Stansfield the return she deserves.It didn't give her a return to popularity, but Lisa was excellent in a recent Miss Marple
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