There’s no disputing Jamelia Davis’s ability to turn out a fantastic single, her last album contained three of the best of that year in Superstar, See it in a Boy’s Eyes and Thank You. The new single, Something About You, pisses all over them with the call-and-response refrain, disconcertingly similar to Natasha Bedingfield’s Single, but its snappy R&B rhythm and rock guitars exemplify the rest of the album’s boundary-crossing freshness. In a set full of glittering, A-list moments, two of the best are No More, which samples the Stranglers’ Golden Brown, and lickingly fantastic Beware of the Dog, whose compelling electronic thrust comes courtesy of a chunk of my favourite Depeche Mode track, Personal Jesus. Jamelia has made strides as a singer too and is silkily assured enough to give Beyonce a run for her money. Her beguiling vulnerability has been sacrificed, but strength and power have emerged in its stead.
