From one of my favourite british soul labels, Dome Records, comes the second solo release of Donna Gardier.
Donna began singing in church at the age of five, but only broke into the music business by accident. 'A friend of mine who was a professional singer had double-booked herself and asked me to cover for her,' she recalls. She went to the session, for a band called Kid Can't Dance, and found herself asked to join the band, going on the road with them and singing on their album.
This was followed soon afterwards by a solo album in the early 90ies (Reach Out on Virgin Records).
In the mid-90ies she fronted UK band Raw Stylus and recorded songs like Pushing Against The Flow and Believe In Me.
Her stint with Raw Stylus also began by complete chance. A friend was auditioning for the band and called Donna in the middle of the audition after telling the band 'I know who would be perfect for this'.
'I went along the next day and they chose me as the band's lead singer,' says Donna. 'The friend who recommended me became one of the backing singers.'
Since the split of Raw Stylus Donna has sung with gospel choir Shekinah and recorded with Esperanto (1995 on Soul Jazz Records) and some songs for Dome like Future (that appeared on Soul Power album) or Make You Mine and the Stevie Wonder cover Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me for the Full Flava album. And finally we see a full length album by Donna.
And this time Donna has a lot more involvement than on her first solo album: 'I enjoyed doing my first solo album, but the reason why I particularly like this new album is that it is true to me, coming from the heart, true to the person I am today. On my original solo record I didn't write any of the material, whereas on this album I have written all but one of the songs'.
Co-writer and producer of the album is Urban Species Lennox Cameron; and the one song they haven't written is a cover version of Marvin Gaye's How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You, done as a very decent, more acoustic version with just guitar, bass and vocals.
Just skip the first song Decisions which for my ears is just too R&B in the modern sense of the word and begin with the good You Don't Know.
Real Thing is a fine ballad with just Donna and piano and really shows her vocal ability.
Other highlights include good midtempo song The Prize, the nu soul influenced One And Only and the equally appealing Something Special.
And not to forget the faster I Am, which is more of a modern praise to God lyricwise, or Voices that deals with someone gone insane and hearing voices after drug abuse.
Home is a welcome return for Donna Gardier and worth a listening.