I can't believe it's not Mariah Carey; The blessing and curse of Leona Lewis.

I heard of Leona Lewis, winner of Britian’s X Factor (a variation of American Idol), a few months ago. So a day or so before he album dropped I decided to see what I could find on YouTube. I was blown away when I saw her performances. Her voice is gorgeous and she’s stunning. I didn’t see any of the competition but I can’t imagine there was anyone who could compete. The big question is how would that fantastic voice find it’s own place in the here and now. The problem is she hasn’t found HER voice yet. She’s found a voice that sounds like a spitting image of Mariah Carey’s (old school) with a touch of Celine Dion thrown in for good measure. So much so that there are times on this album I forgot that it’s not Mariah Carey. This is an impressive feat because Mariah is very hard to duplicate. Just ask Syesha Mercado. But on her quest to be a superstar, this might be a liability. This is a Mariah Carey album. The one most people wanted after Daydream. I want to hear a Leona Lewis album. Yet, if you like Mariah Carey you can’t help but like this album. I’m so confused.

I’m not confused about how much I adore her first single “Bleeding Love”. With its spiritual organ, canned drums and Lewis’s phenomenal vocals the song is a winner from the very first coo she sings so soft it sounds like the sigh of an angel. The lyrics are basically the same “you’re bad for me but I love you anyway” concept but the analogy has never been this visceral. Comparing love to a spurting wound isn’t your typical pop song fodder (well there was Bryan Adams “Cuts Like A Knife”), but it makes for a dynamic listen and as she flips up into her rafter notes it’s clear as a bell. The other fantastic moment is where the music strips down as a wall of Leona cascades down and her powerful voice penetrates your very soul. “Better In Time” is another good song with it’s sentimental strings, trembling piano and even though I’ve heard this song a million times I’d be hard pressed to pick a time I’ve heard it with vocals this amazing.
“I’m You” easily could have been on the album Mariah Carey released yesterday. It has that hand-clap track that made “We Belong Together” a number one hit with gentle, flowing synthesizers in the background.

All the ballads on here sound so much like Mariah Carey I forget that it’s not Mariah Carey. I sang along with half a song before it hit me this was Leona Lewis. If I know the song well enough to sing along and still don’t realize it’s not Mariah that’s a problem. “Yesterday” is a fantastic song though with it’s sentimental, slightly heartbroken beauty. “Here I Am” and “Footsteps In The Sound” are so similar to songs like “Hero” and “Can’t Take That Away From me” it borders on copyright infringement. Yet, if you like the template you’ll like the copy I guess. I don’t turn them when they come across my CD player. I even revel in the sheer nostalgia of it all. I feel like I’m in tenth grade and a new Mariah Carey album just came out. Yet, I’m thirty two and a new Mariah Carey album did just come out.

“The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face” was a pointless inclusion as it’s pretty much note for note a cover of Celine Dion’s cover of Roberta Flack. She sounds stunning but the song is soooooooo slow and goes on and on. By the end of the first verse it feels like the first time she saw his face was in the twenties and I’ve witnessed every single moment. I feel like shooting myself by the end of the second verse. “Angel” sounds like it could have been on Jordin Sparks album right after “Tattoo”. It’s a youthful, sweet little song but it doesn’t have sticking power except for the fact Leona has such a great voice. There are two obligatory R&B cuts on here and they sound pretty obligatory. “Forgive Me” sounds like it came from the early 1990’ with it’s echoing canned production, poppy soul melody and ultimately empty performance. “Misses Glass” sounds very manufactured and calculated as well. There are these Lil’ John (like shout outs and this accent sounds about as at home here as it would on a Celine Dion album.

Overall, Leona Lewis has talent I don’t even think we can fathom. Her voice is magnificent but she needs to get off the Mariah train and find the Leona Lewis one quickly. The fact is there is only room for one Mariah Carey in this world and she hasn’t retired yet. This review may seem harsh but I hate to see such a discovery get brushed aside because executives are insisting on recreating the past and neglect the future. Yet, this album has enough moments to be with your time and money. Just don’t be surprised if you zone out and for a minute think you are back in 1994.