[.ca] Gold Coast

more than 'just' nice music!!:
This isn't just beautiful music -- it is music with heart, soul, and meaning in the truest sense! I love it!!

Very Well Done!:
I'm the type of person that likes to try new and innovative things. And this cd takes me to that journey which I seek to embark on. Anybody that loves a nice melody that has great lyrics to go along with it will like this cd. She relates her soul, heart, and desires on this cd. I love the fact that she can sing about some real stuff and yet bring to attention some things in life that we miss to see the point of the future (like the song Sing to a Child). You'll Enjoy It!

VERY, VERY GOOD QUALITY:
I WAS PREPARED TO DISLIKE THIS ALBUM BECAUSE OF ALL THE HYPE I HAD HEARD. BUT IT IS DESERVED. THIS IS A WONDERFUULLY PUT TOGETHER RECORD. CLEARLY A LOT OF THOUGHT AND PASSION HAS GONE INTO IT. THE MUSICALITY AND LYRICS ARE REALLY STRONG AND EVOCATIVE. I HAVE IT ON CONSTANT ROTATION IN MY CAR AND HOME. I HAVE ONLY ONE CRITICISM, WHICH IS THAT THE ALBUM IS A LITTLE SHORT ABOUT 56 MINS.

One of the best albums I have heard in a long while:
this album is absolutely one of the best I have heard for years. its interesting, its one of those records like a norah jones or sade that people either hate or love, but i love it. i think you have to really chill and listen to it, but it is really deep lyrically and musically. i don't think it should be compared to an amel larrieux or goapele, those albums are much more 'trying to be hip and cool' (which they do well, i am like amel, she is great too), but i think this is way more of a classic album than anything those artists can do. its not for everyone, but in my experience really great artists are very loved or disliked, there is no in between and its the same with ms benson. highly recommended by me and i have seen great reviews in numerous publications that say exactly the same thing

Disappointing:
Rhian Benson's cd is one that I truly wanted to like. I picked up this cd after reading the four and five star reviews on amazon.com about how wonderful Rhian was. Reviewers also compared Benson's style to Sade's. Sade is one of my favorite urban artists for the last 10 or so years. The las thing that sold me was that Benson's albums was produced by some of hip hop's finest: James Poyser(who produced the Roots, Jill Scott, and Lauryn Hill) and Bob Power (who produced a Tribe Called Quest, D'Angelo, and Erykah Badu). The last thing that sold me was Benson's pouty pretty face on the album cover also led me to believe that this would be a wonderful album. What could possibly go wrong with this combination? Benson's album lacks imagination and emotion. While listening to the songs off this album, I felt that Benson was emotionally disconnected from her material. She has a nice voice, but it fails to inspire because she sings her material without passion. Sade still manages to infuse emotion in spite of her minimalistic approach, which Benson fails to do. The backing band's instrumental arrangements are surprisingly stale and uninspired. I know that many reviewers will disagree with me. But frankly, I've heard better. Benson's album sounds like a bad cover of an r & b album from the 80s. I'd recommend any of Sade's albums or Amel Larrieux's "Infinite Possibilities" rather than this work.

• Words Hurt Too
• Say How I Feel
• Stealing My Peace Of Mind
• Soul Boy
• Shake It Away
• Invincible
• The One
• Sing To A Child
• I'm In a Bind
• Gold Sky
• Freedom Song
• Young Girl
• Spirit