Dream Soldier [CD]

The little-known album, "Dream Soldier", kicks off with "It's Okay" an uplifting song that states that everything will be okay, despite the fact that everything may be going wrong that day. ("Another day your late for work, the shower's cold you ain't got no clean shirt"). Lyrically, this song it far from the best on the album but it does give a nice introduction to the positive themes that stay constant throughout the album. Following this comes the inquisitive "Why?" in which Des'ree asks why her man is making her "blue." The second verse has good lyrics that can apply to many situations. ("You don't wanna talk about it, say I'm crazy and it's all inside my head"). The only downside to this song is Des'ree sings about being sad, but she sounds truly happy when she sings this song.

Afterwards comes the vocally enchanting "Righteous Night". The lyrics are somewhat confusing but the song sounds great nonetheless. ("It was a righteous night, and I slept with all my eyes"). I honestly have no idea what this song is about but the vocals Des'ree provides save the song from only being confusing. Just as a little interesting fact, "Righteous Night" features some music from bagpipes, which is very rare these days. "Doesn't Matter" follows, which, like many songs on the album, is lyrically simple but still excellent. This is debatably and album highlight because of the Latin-tinged music (especially in the beginning), the echoing vocals (again, in the beginning) and the general catchiness of the song. In this song, Des'ree describes someone who always compares himself or herself to everyone else and never looks at what they've accomplished.

Next comes "Human" which talks about some of the problems of being human, ("Sometimes I'm guilty of prejudice, sometimes I'm guilty of fear") as well as the problems with the world. However, Des'ree only briefly touches upon the problems in the world ("Living in a world so full of hate, look around and you'll see so much suffering"). The song is only average though the music and vocals are, as always, beautiful. Following this comes a definite album highlight, "Cool Morning". This song truly showcase amazing vocals are lyrics from Des'ree. The lyrics are beautiful though not as straightforward as most people are used to. To me, it is a very amorous song with a kind of sad ending. Afterwards comes a decent, but not incredible, song called "Something Special" which seems to talk about how songs are made and about getting inspiration. Lyrically it is not as strong as some other songs, such as the part where Des'ree sings "on my own, answerphone, toblerone". Otherwise, the lyrics are decent but the song does not stand out.

After that comes "Love Beautiful" which is much better than the previous song. Des'ree sounds truly beautiful in this song and her rich voice is showcased very well. The song basically talks about the beauty of love and the inspiration it provides. The next song, "Nothing To Lose" is vocally beautiful, especially the harmonies in the chorus. The lyrics are great again, particularly the chorus ("So please, don't leave me here. I'll be lost without you. Don't make me stay coz I'll only be in the way"). To me, this is definitely another album highlight. The second last track, "Fate", is also an album highlight that showcases Des'rees lyrical and vocal abilities. It is a kind of blues-style song with beautiful yet simple lyrics. The last track is an unnecessary remix of "It's Okay" which probably should have been replaced with something more original considering how short the album was. I don't notice much of a difference between the two versions.

Overall Mark: 4/5

Overall, Des'ree provides an uplifting and enchanting fourth album. It features music from instruments such as bagpipes ("Righteous Night"), harmonica ("Human" and "Love Beautiful") and flute ("Nothing To Lose") which, though not too obvious in these tracks, are a nice touch considering you rarely hear those instruments in music today. There are a few lyrics missteps on the album, however as whole the album is very moving and enchanting. Des'ree has a deep, rich, captivating voice that adds a lot of emotion to her songs. Personally, I think she should have included more songs like "Cool Morning" because it really shows off the depth of her voice and her lyrical abilities. Des'ree wrote all the songs on the album except "Why?" which she co-wrote. Though the lyrics are rather simple a lot of the time, they still convey the messages of the songs very well. Overall, a great album to have especially for fans of India Arie and music like that. Just as a side-note, the track listing on the back of the album is very annoying because it is in reverse order. It has no effect on the product, its just a little annoying.

Buy this CD if you enjoy jazz, neo-soul, beautiful melodies and vocals. Listen to it several times, don't dismiss it after a casual play. You will be happy once you discover its true greatness.