Released: August 5
Voice of M People Heather Small breathes new life into her classic hits on her first solo LP in over a decade, ‘Colour My Life’.
Clocking in at 11 tracks, the singer’s latest album – her first since ‘Close to a Miracle’ in 2006 – features reimagined versions of her Top 10 hits from her tenure with the group and her successful solo career, produced in conjunction with Rupert Christie and the London Metropolitan Orchestra.
Opening with the group’s highest charting single, the No. 2 hit Moving On Up, the album showcases the star’s superb catalogue, supported by her stunning vocals which, three decades on, remain ageless.
Not only Heather’s first solo collection in 16 years, ‘Colour My Life’ also coincides with the 30th anniversary of M People’s breakthrough, with the group scoring ten UK Top 10 hits during their original 1990s chart run.
Among those featured on the new LP are How Can I Love You More?, Sight For Sore Eyes and Search For The Hero, along with a selection of new cuts.
The single Love Me Or Not is an instant highlight – not only from the new record, but from her career – while Heather delivers a beautiful rendition of Paul Weller’s You Do Something To Me, showcasing her versatility as a vocalist and an artist.
Meanwhile, her collaboration with Alfie Boe on Don’t Look Any Further sees her come face-to-face with another of the UK’s biggest voices and hold her own, proving that with the passing of time, her inimitable tone has only gotten richer.
The instrumentation across the album is stunning, but what stands out on ‘Colour My Life’ is the power of Heather’s vocal, which remains as impressive now as it did back in the ‘90s, particularly on the new recordings, which leave us craving more new music from the dance superstar.
So while the reinterpretations offer a fresh take on some of the star’s best loved tracks of years gone by, it’s hard to not long for a full album of originals – particularly if what’s on offer here is anything to go by…
‘Colour My Life’ is available now.
