Leona Lewis - Spirit - Music & Performance - CD

Having won over British audiences, Lewis has come to American soil with her debut disc, Spirit. Co-produced by Cowell and the legendary Clive Davis, the album is everything you'd expect from such great musical mentors. Lewis brings an amazing vocal range and versatility to every song she sings, which has won her favorable comparisons to artists like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. With this album, she is poised to make a name for herself far beyond the comparisons.

With her first American single, "Bleeding Love," she broke into Billboard's Hot 100, becoming the first British female to accomplish that since Kim Wilde back in 1987. The song is a beautiful introduction to her elegant style, which is enhanced by excellent song selection. On this lead off single, she has a gentle pop approach that shows influences of her musical idols but never sounds like an imitation.

A pair of ballads -- "Better In Time" and "I Will Be" -- show just what a beautiful instrument her voice is, but five tracks into it she kicks things up a notch with the upbeat, attitude-filled "Forgive Me." There's a bit of Beyonce shining through in this saucy, sassy anthem about losing one's man and, in the process, finding one's self-worth. It's catchy and infectious, and makes a great little dance number.

It takes considerable courage to take on the work of legends, but Lewis's cover of Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is nothing if not memorable. She makes the song as thoughtful and emotional as it was intended to be, lingering on the words with a heartfelt sentiment that makes this track one of the most stirring ballads on the entire collection. As she builds to the chorus and finally lets her voice explode, she finds the ability to draw goosebumps from her audience.

The dramatic "Take A Bow" is worthy of a soundtrack; the comparisons of a relationship to a theatrical performance work extremely well and when she hits the chorus, the full force of her emotions shine through. It's another powerful song that Lewis lets build in intensity and the payoff comes from her vocal explosions as the song progresses.

Spirit is a wonderful introduction to a fantastic new talent. Despite constantly being compared to other vocal greats, it's safe to say that it won't be long before we all are saying her name.