Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Sheridan Smith, Warner Music UK 2018.
Sheridan Smith’s debut album released in November 2017 shot straight into the UK charts at #9 and spent the next seven weeks in the top 20 reaching gold record status and over 140,000 sales.
Despite being released with only two months of 2017 left, it became one of the 10 best selling debut albums of the year.
On the back of that success her 11-date debut tour sold out in advance, including a celebratory show at the Royal Albert hall.
This sort of immediate success is often hard to follow up but I feel that A Northern Soul will do equally as well.
Eager to challenge herself as an artist Sheridan has delved into her own personal experiences in co-writing a heart-felt and deeply personal collection of songs.
She collaborated with some of the industry’s leading songwriters including Grammy-winning producer Jimmy Hogarth (Amy Winehouse, James Bay), Amy Wadge (Ed Sheeran, Kylie) and Eg White (Adele, Florence & The Machine).
Sheridan has a great ballsy voice that is equally at home crooning a love ballad as it is in belting out gutsy soulful blues.
She has tremendous presence and commands attention.
Apparently her live shows are mesmerising.
The Guardian’s music reviewer said of her Manchester gig: “Her voracious talent turns the show into an exhilarating emotional rollercoaster.”
Sheridan’s songs tell stories of the fragility of relationships such as the highs and lows that we all go through and because we can relate to the experiences, the songs are very approachable.
Her song Rock Bottom begins with the words “I am a disaster” (I’ve felt and said that a few times) before she goes on to explain that although she can fly high it always seems that she’s working her way back down to rock bottom.
In The One she channels the soulful emotion of Amy Winehouse in what should be the follow-up single to Priceless.”
I never thought that I would be the one that came with a warning.”
It’s this self-analysis, combined with her wonderful voice, that drags the listener in.
