Lisa Stansfield, Deeper - album review

It’s her eighth studio full-length to date, and the first we have heard from her since Seven in 2014.

The title suggests perhaps a more in-depth analysis of her soul, no pun intended, with perhaps a bit of flair and creativity going on in her songwriting.

And we do have a little bit of experimentation from the 51-year-old Mancunian.

On the deliciously funky Butterflies, we waltz into the realm of the King of Pop himself Michael Jackson. Brass punctuates throughout as a jiving bassline intertwines with angsty guitar to give off more sassy attitude than that high school bookworm who has just rejected romantic advances from one of the most popular guys in the year.

What is maybe the album’s biggest strength is that if you like British soul, and you like Lisa Stansfield, you’ll feel right at home. Sometimes just hearing a big star of yesteryear delivering their fans a retrospective slice of nostalgia is exactly what the world needs.

This album could have been written by herself in the 80s, or perhaps been pulled off by Texas in the 90s, or maybe a laid back Gwen Stefani in the 00s.

And it can please fans on many an occasion.

Never Ever has the kind of defiant, in-your-face chorus that will probably prove a popular break-up tune, while lead single Billionaire has an almost Alanis Morissette-like swagger in its vocal style for shower karaoke.

Live, these uplifting choruses will be great to sing along with, much like the super hit All Around The World originally made her famous for.

It is not going to pull up any trees as a ground breaker. But these albums don’t need to. Like every good football side, you need a record in any collection that just requires little thought and just does the engine room work while leaving others to experiment.

This could be that record for many a soul lover. A loveable cupcake of yesteryear with some killer choruses to delight.

Rating: 7/10

Lisa Stansfield plays Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on April 17