Passion

Description

.co.uk Passion, Geri Halliwell’s third solo album since leaving the Spice Girls, proves the queen Spice has still got what it takes. Perhaps Geri's take on a concept album, Passion begins and ends with very traditional, big-band numbers--two smoky ballads where Geri sounds in good voice with no big, shouty chorus behind her as a safety net. The second single, "Desire", is a pretty good tune and the most contemporary here with its urban break and fuzzy synths, but the best bits of Passion sound like they came straight from 1998. If the Spice Girls' final album had sounded more like this one's "Don’t Get Any Better" or "Superstar" (where Geri sings the campest line "Ooh, Baby, I want your hot action"), then they might have stayed together a bit longer. Ultimately, Passion contains upbeat, sing-a-long songs with a touch of soul and a cheesy dollop of tongue-in-cheek pop. There are moments where Geri tries to subdue her nostalgic "grrl power" as on "Feel the Fear" and "Let Me Love You More", which both go for Dido’s adult-pop listeners, but Geri’s at her best when she sticks with the prevailing out-and-out pop formula. --Georgina Collins