Nicole Willis - Soul Makeover (2000)

In the same vein that Amel Laurrieux launched her solo career after Groove Theory, so has Nicole Willis. Willis' voice is sultry and smooth with an obvious touch of old wave funk. It's no wonder acts like Leftfield have found her perfect for doing vocal work with their electronic backdrop. With her debut solo album, Soul Makeover, Willis sets herself apart from her younger days known as "Buba Diva," and shows that she has the potential to simply be the latter of the two words. Her husband, recognized producer Jimi Tenor, helped produce the album and makes his presence known by his stamp of clean and well put together jazz instrumentals matched with electronic elements. While some would discredit Willis for doing so, it proves her to be the wiser. Rarely successfully mixed, the album rests somewhere between pop, jazz, and electronic. Some tracks are stronger in one area than another, but all the music on Soul Makeover is emotional and original. It would be unfortunate if Willis's debut and voice go completely unrecognized or further undiscovered. -- Diana Potts ~