Born Again

Like fellow U.K. soul singer Beverley Knight, Mica Paris has never quite captured the record-buying public's imagination in the way that her impressively powerful vocal talents suggest she should have. With Paris now more high-profile than ever, thanks to her presenting role on BBC fashion show What Not to Wear and DJ slot on Radio 2's Soul Solutions, her sixth studio album, Born Again, is a chance to rectify this situation. Lead single "Baby Come Back Now," written by James Morrison, is an authentic Northern soul-influenced toe-tapping stomper that is more than a match for Duffy's chart-topping "Mercy"; the title track is a gorgeous empowering urban ballad, originally intended for Whitney Houston's comeback; and "Hold On" is a melodic slice of acoustic pop with a slight country influence reminiscent of Gabrielle's recent Nashville reinvention. But the several cover versions are where Paris' engaging and controlled vocals really shine through. The contemporary R&B of Eric Benet's "