ROBIN S - SHOW ME LOVE

Robin S burst onto the 90's club scene with the instant dance floor hit 'Show Me Love'. It seemed like she exploded overnight. I remember everyone talking about this song. It was simply huge. I vaguely remember her on some talk shows too. I was so into the track, I bought the single and enjoyed it enough to buy the disc. As I listen to this record, I'm struck with a very specific impression of how and why it was made. The producers came up with a great sound and a couple excellent songs. They decided to find a soul vocalist to use on the tracks. Enter Robin S. Once she was found, they produced an entire record for her. Sadly, she wanted to be a singer of a different type and because of her aspirations, they let her pick half the tracks. In my mind, that explains why you get such an awful mix of songs on this disc.

In the great tradition of R&B/Soul artists, Robin S is drawn to mediocre tunes with a gospel feel. That Rhodes chime keyboard sound shows up alongside generic vocal arrangements more times than I care to admit. I was expecting a great soul voice over some excellent dance music and instead, you get a hodgepodge of material. The producers of 'Show Me Love' really hit on a formula with that track and they work to capitalize the sound by making other numbers using the same sounds. That's not a horrible thing to do, but part of what makes an electronic band great is the literally unending buffet of sounds you can choose from. And if you can't find one you like, you can make new ones yourself. These guys stick pretty close to home. They don't expand their musical pallet beyond the hit making beats of the first single. The songs that seem to fit in this category are 'Show Me Love', 'Love For Love', 'I Want To Thank You', 'Back It Up' and 'Brighter Day'. All of these numbers are great. They more or less fall into the same formula. In fact, 'Back It Up' is exactly the same song as 'Show Me Love' with slightly different lyrics. 'If We Could Just Be Friends' and 'Back And Forth' are tunes with faster, more modern beats, but neither of them are extremely interesting or unique.

The remaining tracks are so generic and uninspired I can't even bother writing about them other than to say they're totally not worth listening to. Robin S doesn't have the powerful, expressive voice that sets certain soul singers like Patti LaBelle apart. She is perfect for interesting dance tracks needing a little soul to give them substance musically. Minus the formula tracks, this record is a waste of time. If you include the remix of 'Show Me Love' at the end of the disc, it's an even 50/50 split between good numbers and crap numbers. The remix shows up on the single as the 'Show Me Love (Stonebridge Club Mix), but it's still nice to have it on this release as well.

I read online Robin S has released more material but I haven't heard it. Due to the disappointment of the material she picked for this record, I'd be hesitant to pick up anything else. Especially if she gained greater control over the sound and direction of her career. For those who need a good jolt of club music back when club music was its own culture, this is a nifty little number with some exciting tracks. If I had control over this disc, I would have split it up into two E.P.'s instead of one haphazard album. My final words: HOT/COLD, 50/50.

ROBIN S - SHOW ME LOVE
01. Show Me Love
02. Love For Love
03. I'm Gonna Love You Right (Tonight)
04. If We Could Just Be Friends
05. What I Do Best
06. My Kind Of Man
07. I Want To Thank You
08. Once In A Lifetime Love
09. Back It Up
10. Back And Forth
11. Brighter Day
12. Who's Gonna Raise The Child
13. When You Find Love
14. Show Me Love (Extended Mix)