Album review: Estelle - Shine (4/5)

I'd hardly given Estelle much thought until this year. Her first album hadn't produced any singles that interested me, and her guest spot on a Natasha Bedingfield song didn't do much for me either. Then along came "American Boy," the fantastic single from earlier this year that dominated the UK charts last spring. It's upbeat yet cool, retro yet modern, features Kanye West, and was produced by Black Eyed Peas member Will.I.Am--in short, it had all the ingredients of a major hit, and its finally caught on in the U.S. too.

"American Boy" may be the best thing about Shine, Estelle's sophomore set, but it's not the only thing going for this disc, which was executive produced by John Legend and features turns at the wheel from many of today's hottest production hands, including Mark Ronson, Wyclef Jean, and Swizz Beats. They contribute most of the album's best cuts, but the producers don't get all the credit--Estelle really shines here as a formidable music force in her own right. She's got a sweet, soulful voice and raps occasionally too.

Old school-flavored modern soul is what a lot of this album has on its mind. "No Substitute Love," one of the Wyclef-produced tracks, liberally curbs from George Michael's "Faith," delivering a warm, punchy track that sounds great this summer. Sixties-sampling "In the Rain" is similarly upbeat and summery.

Besides "American Boy," my second favorite cut has to be the other Wyclef number, "So Much Out the Way," which is upbeat and funky, gets better during the chorus, and then really punches up the rhythm for the chorus-to-verse bridge. It's great fun. As is the Caribbean-flavored Mark Ronson production, "Magnificent," which features Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall, who is finally making a name for himself in the U.S. this year with his solo work.

The album's strongest moments come at the beginning, middle, and end. First track "Wait a Minute (Just a Touch)" is a funky, synth-backed opener. The last cuts are great too. "Pretty Please (Love Me)" effectively nods to Motown and features Cee-Lo. The Swizz Beats-produced "Shine" is one of the most modern-sounding songs, featuring a melody of synths and piano.

The upbeat numbers are the album's best. The slower songs like "More than Friends" or "Come Over" are fine, but don't stand out as much. Better is the slow 70s vibe of "Back in Love" and "You Are" which features the man of the hour, John Legend himself.

Estelle snagged herself a Mercury Prize nomination for Shine, a surprise for such a mainstream work. It's nice to hear some really great R&B that, like a lot of the genre's recent best, seamlessly combines elements like modern hip-hop beats and '60s Motown soul. It's also nice to hear a British singer who isn't trying to sound like Amy Winehouse, despite some similar influences.

Best: American Boy, So Much Out the Way, No Substitute Love, Pretty Please (Love Me), Shine, Magnificent