Album Review: Leona Lewis "Spirit"

Leona Lewis' debut album Spirit was quite a highly anticipated release by the time it was out in the US for many of Leona's fans who had been following her on the net since the days of The X-Factor. I, for one, felt quite alone when I sat at my computer every week watching Leona display her amazing talent & never heard a bit of news about it. All the dedication was worth it, however, when Spirit's first single "Bleeding Love" first hit the scene. It was such a refreshing blend of a talented artist singing a genuinely great song. I must admit though that after my first listening of Spirit, I was underwhelmed. Not because the talent wasn't there, but because it just didn't seem to be getting used to its fullest potential. Nonetheless, Spirit is by no means without its moments of greatness.

Following the album's opener & worldwide phenomenon "Bleeding Love" is the album's second single "Better In Time," which really does nothing for me. The tracks that follow, "I Will Be" (a song which Avril Lavigne recorded first, but obviously without the chops Leona has) & "I'm You," are better, but seem to hint at a looong album ahead. Spirit gets a much-needed boost with the two US-exclusive tracks "Forgive Me" & "Misses Glass," which feature Leona singing something that the rest of the album seems to lack, "Bleeding Love" aside: decent hooks. While the album's other tracks run together sometimes, these uptempos have the listener remembering them specifically after listening to the entire record.

It is possibly because of this boost that the rest of the album at this point seems more enjoyable. While Spirit is overloaded with slower material, "Angel," "Yesterday," & "Take A Bow," which are all midtempos & close together sequentially, shine to respective degrees. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a great way to display Leona's talent, but I find it difficult to get past the fact that it doesn't really compare to Celine Dion's jaw-dropping rendition of the tune. That aside, Leona's magic really happens on the ballads. Basically, there is no comparison between the album's last two tracks, "Footprints In The Sand" & "Here I Am," & yet another forgettable midtempo that falls near the end of the album, "Whatever It Takes." (Note: What's with the last two songs being 'UK Bonus Tracks'? Practically all the songs are from the UK anyway, so if you're gonna include them, just do.)

Spirit is a hit-and-miss attempt at putting together a hit debut album for one of today's greatest new talents. Its faults, however, were never going to hurt the album's sales, especially with such a brilliant lead single. I do think, though, that there are enough tracks that demonstrate Lewis' talent in a positive light to make Spirit a worthwhile buy. I look forward to what Leona has to offer once she has more time & freedom to experiment with making music.

Rating: 4/5 Stars