While not as musically varied as the title suggests, Soul Eclectic from newcomer Sophia Darcell (http://www.sophiadarcell.com) is nevertheless soulful; that much is sure. Blessed with a voice that is somewhere between the Gospel glow of Whitney Houston and the sexy strut of Jennifer Lopez, Darcell doesn't need much spice to grab listeners' ears. The opening cut, "Charades," is a tad overcooked in its arrangements; the tropical beat is enough for Darcell to produce steam with. Her husky vocals here are in contrast to her best work on the album.
Darcell is backed by a number of musicians here; the aim of this record seems to be to get her signed to a major label, to beef up each tune with enough polish and power-packed radio-friendly instrumentation to gain big-league attention. The result has the overall effect of a demo than a fully developed LP. Darcell experiments with Latin rhythms ("7 Seas"), funk ("They Love Like That"), jazz ("Ceyrah," "Thru the Desert"), and acoustic pop ("His Sweet Face"). Ironically, Darcell's voice is best showcased when her bandmates relax a bit, giving her a chance to breathe. The gorgeous stripped-down riffs of "His Sweet Face" are perfect for Darcell to wrap her vocals around.
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As far as urban Adult Contemporary albums go, "Soul Eclectic" is certainly far better than much of what is released today. Darcell is able to command a strong presence in the multiple genres that she is asked to balance here.
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