Jamelia - Walk With Me (CD)

All Music Guide

Hopes were high for Jamelia's third album, Walk With Me, released in September 2006, almost three years since her last album Thank You, but the expected sales didn't really materialise, Walk With Me peaking at no.20 and spending just five weeks on the chart. Thank You had needed two bites of the cherry, appearing to fail miserably upon release, spending just two weeks in the chart and peaking at no.65 but enjoying a new lease of life throughout 2004 thanks to four top 10 singles Superstar, Thank You, See It In A Boy's Eyes and DJ. Walk With Me also included two further top 10 hits, the opening track, Something About You and Beware Of The Dog which sampled Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus turning the track into more of a rock song than an RB one which didn't really suit Jamelia's voice. The next single No More, did more than sample the Stranglers' Golden Brownand played it as was on the original all the way through the song, and it was a strange choice of sample, as it was so dominant that... one found oneself listening to the background rather than the song and singing along to Golden Brown, texture like sun….Do Me Right was a collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa but one would think it was influenced by Talvin Singh rather than a hiphop pioneer as it sounded very eastern. Window Shopping also features a sample but that was a particularly silly one of Molly Sugden as Mrs Slocombe from the TV sitcom Are You Being Served, injecting the catchphrase "Are you free" The album lost its way a little in the middle as La La Love, Go and Get Up Get Out are rather insipid chugging mid tempo ballads and then it was back to RB soul on Got It So Good and the album closed with Hustle, a track that did exactly what you would expect, a Latin grooved dance track, a good way to end an album, leaving the audience wanting more. - Sharon Mawer, All Music Guide Read more Less