Reviewed by David Faulkner

Be prepared to be amazed. Like many of the best house vocalists, London's Kensington Temple-based Nancee has a voice that would fit perfectly on some of the classic soul recordings of yesteryear. However, rather than being matched with organic instrumentation, she is backed by the keyboard and drum programming of her husband Danny "Rejazz" Bortey, who also produces and often co-writes. Sometimes they take the idea of "gospel music" quite literally, using great sermons such as Martin Luther King's ("Freedom Is A Kingdom Thing") and S M Lockridge's famous "That's My King", letting the cadences of the preacher become the rhythm of the track. The use of the preaching goes way beyond conventional and now rather stale sampling. Elsewhere, track titles take contemporary catchphrases ("Upgrade" and "Friend Request") and mould them into messages of grace. She doesn't miss a step in moving between dance tracks and ballads. The Gospel is all over this recording: from the title track through "Come Back Home", "Can't Hold Me Down" and "You Can't Shut Me Up", good news and encouragement flow everywhere in creative, hook-heavy songs that are as melodic as they are rhythmic. Watch out world, a new talent has arrived and her name is Nancee.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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