Gabrielle
By All Music Guide
By All Music Guide
Her debut album, Find Your Way, sold over a million copies worldwide, and paved the way for her sophomore, self-titled album, released in 1996 and produced by the Boilerhouse Boys. In three short years, those two albums and nine singles -- five of which were Top Ten -- established Gabrielle as the U.K.s premiere soul vocalist, full of classic soul connotations (Marvin Gaye, Barry White, Bobby Womack) but also influenced by early-80s British pop (Soul II Soul, Lisa Stansfield, Mantronix).
In 2000, Gabrielle followed up with her appropriately titled third album, Rise, which followed a difficult time for her personally and creatively. Widely publicized reports concerning her ex-partners criminal conviction threatened to overshadow her musical accomplishments, not to mention her creative potential. The songs on Rise spoke of optimism, romanticism, devotion, and a keen survival instinct. The lead single, Sunshine, was a spirited thank you to those friends you have on hand to boost your confidence when youre low. The albums title track samples Bob Dylans classic Knockin on Heavens Door with his rare seal of approval. 2001s world-wide hit Out of Reach was the feature track from the Bridget Joness Diary soundtrack.
