Wow, this lady really can sing. Not in a Mariah Carey vocal gymnastics way, or a throaty Alanis Morisette way, but in a sultry, seductive sense which forces you to forget the executive stress and chill out. The vocal equivalent of a nice hot cup of tea. Shame it’s wasted on as mediocre a release as this.
Hil St. Soul is Hilary Mwelwa, hailing from Zambia, who from an early age had been immersed in soul icons such as Aretha, Marvin and Stevie, and thus went into the music scene with R+B/soul domination in mind. For a brief spell, at least, it’s a formula that has propelled Mwelwa and her musical partner Victor Redwood Sawyer (founding member of award-winning UK hip-hop group Blak Twang) into the limelight, following tours with Macy Gray, Angie Stone and D’Angelo. Unfortunately, it’s also a formula that has been blitzed, beat and exhausted already by the likes of Beverley Knight and Terrie Walker. For want of a better way to describe it; Hil St. Soul’s music is not breaking any boundaries here, or conjuring up any new approaches to style. In fact, the ‘isn’t life grand?’ droning of ‘Sweet on You’ and ‘Baby Come Over’ is all a bit bland and tedious really.
‘Goodbye’ – a fairly innovative ballad by these standards – has Hil St. Soul branching out into sunshine pop, but the song’s fairly complacent and predictable subject matter disappoints. Just how many songs can you have about saying ‘goodbye’? ‘I’ve Got Me’ has a little gospel about it, but it lacks the energy and power which has made gospel so appealing. No doubt about it, this music is perfect, bonafide chill out material but what it lacks is a little soul. Sure it says it on the tin, but it’s what’s on the inside that really counts. Their music is self-empowering, yes, but not powerful enough to really make a statement.
Hil St Soul could be contenders, but for now they are merely languishing in the bargain bin of British R+B. Pity.