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Review by David Jeffries
Wrapping her sweet voice around
songs by male singers she admires, Stacey Kent delivers another pleasant and
low-key album with The Boy Next Door. Kent's tribute choices range from
traditional pop (Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett) to mainstream jazz
instrumentalists (Dave Brubeck, Dizzy Gillespie) to the softer side of rock
(James Taylor, Simon and -- unmentioned in the liner notes -- Garfunkel). With a
gentle conviction akin to early Blossom Dearie without the cheeky flair, the
album makes for breezy listening. The 16 tracks don't differ enough in tone,
making the album a bit too long, but individual moments of warm openhearted
excellence make it worthwhile. The sentimentality of "Bookends" or "'Tis Autumn"
suit her precious delivery well, while the sly moments of "Makin' Whoopee" feel
out of the singer's reach. The bandmembers stay out of the way for the most
part, waiting for their solos rather than interacting much with Kent. Drummer
Matt Home's light but lively style is especially accommodating and guitarist
Colin Oxley's percussive take on "Too Darn Hot" ends up being the album's
greatest moment.