David Steele drove Fine Young Cannibals and The Beat, and there’s still a hint of ’80s wine-bar soul about his neat new project. Nonetheless, the slick sound’s given a lift by New Orleans singer Jonte Short. On the swooping “When You Get Out Of Jail” (with guest rap by RZA), she whips a cracking chorus till it whimpers. Beth Gibbons co-wrote “Stranger In This Land”, and Steele’s shrewdly taken ’90s trip hop tricks on board. As pop, it works best in short bursts, but for all the calculation there’s also a smouldering heart. “You’re With The Wrong One” is “It Shoulda Been Me” for the Macy Gray generation.
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