My review of Susan Boyle and her new CD

I must admit, Susan Boyle is indeed a sensation of our times. When she burst into the scene with her exceptional performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" by Les Misérables on Britain’s Got Talent in 2009 I must say I was blown away. Her powerful voice was disarming to say the least. It drowned her plain ordinary look and turned her into an overnight superstar. Though I enjoyed her first two albums; “I Dreamed a Dream” and “The Gift”, her latest album “Someone to Watch Over Me” is the best of them all. The album is simply a class act. It is one of the few albums that I can just sit back and listen to without skipping a single song. The producer, Steve Mac managed to bring out the power of Boyle’s voice without being drowned by accompaniments as in the previous albums. The youthful timbre of her voice is impressive. The album is has ten wonderful tracks which include classics such as “You have to be there” by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, “Unchained Melody” by Hy Zaret and Alex North, “Enjoy the silence” by Martin Gore and several others. The rendition of “You have to be there” brings a bit of bombast to the album and I really enjoy the track. In the album Boyle’s voice goes from soft to a soaring high in the same breath. She brings out a fresh interpretation to the songs that are indeed breath taking. The songs transcend age and can be enjoyed by almost anyone. She describes situations in her own life in some of the songs to which each one of us can relate to. The album is generally about life, love and prevailing over obstacles. The loved the song, “Autumn Leaves”. It brings out the sadness one experiences when they lose a loved one and gives the reassurance that they those that you love never really leave you. Boyle’s versatility and musical prowess is evident on every song in the album. She has succeeded engaging her audience emotionally in every song. This powerful connection will enable each and every one to find a little bit of themselves in her songs. The album is one of those you listen to when you want to relax and reflect on life. It is indeed a must have for those who enjoy bluesy, soft music backed by powerful vocals. The song "This Will be the Year", clearly captures the life story of Susan as she proclaims that she is a woman who will always prevail over adversity as she did on that fine night on Britain’s Got talent. I would be the first to admit that “Someone To Watch Over Me” should have been a bit longer. It actually left me yearning for more though I was a bit skeptical about it at first. Boyle has grown in leaps and bounds since 2009 and is surely going places. She has definitely come of age in the industry. “Someone To Watch Over Me” has set her up for further success and I surely hope that we get to see more of her in the coming years.