An album of uncommon depth, a sophisticated but stimulating hybrid of pop, soul, and adult contemporary.
Her debut is a sonic amalgam of dusky 80s R&B and pristine 90s Brit soul. It's lush, sophisticated pastiche.
Devotion is such a strong début from such a promising talent that offers qualities and sounds we all forgot we liked.
In an industry of singers defined by the music behind them, Jessie Ware can only be defined as the best voice of 2012.
Devotion is not composed of club bangers, but subtle, textural and groove-focused beats. They provide enough to keep the album fresh and forward-thinking, but never really remove the focus from Ware’s voice, words and melodies.
Devotion ... marries her natural gift with throbbing instrumentation that breathes life into every single turn of phrase or sensitive vocal embellishment.
Ware might still be feeling out her surroundings, but considering the results, getting to see that evolution take place is an exciting and exceedingly worthwhile prospect
there’s a youthful, warm energy emanating from Ware’s vocals that enervates Devotion, making it more than a mere exercise in restrained, sophisticated sexiness.
Devotion is a classy affair that delights in its own refinement yet stays pinned to the earth, a talented singer and songwriter realizing her potential at just the right moment.
Throughout Devotion you're never told to sit up and pay attention. Instead it quietly works its magic, a genuinely individual statement by an artist who didn't expect to become a pop star, but might struggle to stop it happening anyway – after all, the groove is in her heart.
Devotion is an album of smart, superbly realised, nuanced pop music, a record Sade could conceivably have made if she was still running with the club crowd.
‘Devotion’ is the sound of modern pop, modern love - and heartbreak.
Despite the occasional tendency to soar above when her songs could benefit from some earthiness, in the main Ware’s sheer, confident boldness carries the day.
Ware has the pipes to come out on top of a TV singing competition, but it’s her control, style, and musical choices that make Devotion so interesting.
Like all the great British pop records of the past five years, ‘Devotion’ combines the present and the past to make a record that sounds both contemporary and timeless.
Any quibbles are minor here though, for Devotion is a truly impressive debut album from yet another talented British singer.
She captures the emotion, without the shmaltz and in doing so, she neatly elevates her work above that of countless other mainstream pop singers.
Devotion is a forward-looking, soulful pop record. A definite classic pop star in the making.
‘Devotion’ is effectively a cross between bass-heavy dance and sleek music to be played in upmarket wine bars. When this unlikely pairing works ... it’s a thing of wonder.
Devotion isn’t what you’d necessarily expect from Jessie Ware, it’s not what you’d expect from pop music and it’s not really anything you’d expect from anyone in 2012.
Devotion is a strong debut whose power doesn’t come from being some sort of game-changer or innovator, but rather being a lonely satellite, creating its own orbit.
On her full-length debut, UK singer-songwriter Jessie Ware brings a somewhat modern approach to embracing the kinds of contemporary R&B sounds that were pretty hot in the 80s.
This is an album swap with my good friend @UltimateLifeFrm, who will hopefully review Tame Impala’s “Lonerism” during the weekend.
I’m very familiar with pop music in general, but I’m not very familiar with sophisti-pop. How did this album turn out to be?
Giving you inner calm is what this album is great at. The singing, the lyrics, and the production all come together and make you feel like you’re at peace in an otherwise horrible setting.
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Yeah, I gotta agree with Fantano on this one somewhat; this album is a snoozer. Maybe my expectations were just too high, considering I've enjoyed some of Ware's other work, but damn, NONE of this hits. The majority of it genuinely just kinda sounds like really uninteresting radio pop fodder that I'd be hearing around the time the album was released. It does have its cool moments, but overall, I don't see myself coming back to any of this.
The first fourth is so strong, I was disappointed the more I advanced.
You can hear the future powerhouse on disco that Jessie Ware would become, but just not yet.
HIGHLIGHTS: DEVOTION, WILDEST MOMENTS, RUNNING, SWEET TALK
WORST TRACK: STILL LOVE ME
1 | Devotion 3:24 | 84 |
2 | Wildest Moments 3:42 | 88 |
3 | Running 4:28 | 85 |
4 | Still Love Me 3:56 | 71 |
5 | No to Love 3:33 | 73 |
6 | Night Light 4:13 | 83 |
7 | Swan Song 3:43 | 73 |
8 | Sweet Talk 3:37 | 81 |
9 | If You're Never Gonna Move 3:27 | 78 |
10 | Taking In Water 4:27 | 81 |
11 | Something Inside 3:34 | 76 |
#1 | / | The Line of Best Fit |
#2 | / | Slant |
#3 | / | Idolator |
#3 | / | The Guardian |
#4 | / | BBC |
#4 | / | Time Out London |
#5 | / | Gorilla vs. Bear |
#5 | / | Stereogum |
#5 | / | The Fly |
#8 | / | AllMusic |