Jess Glynne, possibly most well-known for featuring on Clean Bandit’s hit single, “Rather Be,” is a fairly new British R&B/Dance-Pop artist. Glynne is beginning to form her own legacy with the release of her debut album, “I Cry When I Laugh”  in London on Aug. 21, but not until Sept. 11 in the United States.
The album opens with, “Gave me Something,” which contains a strong theme, but definitely not being the most impressive song on the album. The closing track also repeats this lack of strength.
Much of Glynne’s originality is buried within the middle tracks, a dangerous situation for capturing those with little preliminary interest in her music.”Ain’t Got Far to Go” and “Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself”” can be considered the most dynamic of songs, displaying the most traits of her intensely soulful style and rhythmic vocals.
Near the center of the album, she provides contrast with a slower, more lyrical track, “Take me Home,” refreshing the senses for even more dynamic songs ahead.
Glynne then returns the favor to Clean Bandit by featuring them in one of her own songs, “Real Love.” The artist also brings in Emeli Sandé in as a featured artist on her second lyrical track, “Saddest Vanilla.” Glynne sticks to her defined rhythmic and soulful style strictly, but these features bring contrasted styles to her album, a tool that she uses to her advantage.
Jess just begins to experiment with style near the end of her album with, “It Ain’t Right,” possessing a sound reflecting some jazz influences. This is the most dissimilar track in comparison to the rest of the album.
Much of the album is very reminiscent of “Rather Be.” The young artist will have to be careful that she constructs her own identity, and doesn’t get labeled under someone else’s style.
One can only hope she continues to experiment with her style because if she doesn’t, the alternative label puts her at risk for being quickly forgotten.
A considerable amount of these songs have already been featured on the radio, forcing us to become familiar with her name. If she plays her cards right, we won’t have much of a choice, but to get used to her presence on the music scene. Listeners can find the album for sale on iTunes, Youtube, or other media sites.