Album Review: Heaven

It's unfair for one to listen to Rebecca Ferguson after being told she was a runner-up on the popular British reality show The X Factor. It's unfair because one listens with prejudice, expecting another in a long line of wannabes with a glimmer of talent hoping to make it big. Ferguson, to her credit, manages to spring a pleasant surprise. She comes out with all guns blazing on Nothing's Real But Love, which lies somewhere between pop and soul. ‘And maybe the man in charge doesn't like my face,' she sings, ‘but then this world's not always good...' It's the sort of tune that wouldn't be out of place in a television commercial (which is also why it was used in one).u00a0

Also worthy of praise are Fairytale and Mr Bright Eyes. There are misses too, like Run Free and Diamond To Stone, but this is still a great debut from an artiste with much to offer. With the right songwriters, her sophomore effort should be a cracker.

-Heaven, Rebecca Ferguson, Sony Music,Rs 499. Available at leading music stores.u00a0