Sweet James
Denise James
Promises
(Rainbow Quartz)
Everything’s waiting for Denise James . . . downtown.
As if she pogo’d off Ringo Starr’s tom-toms, James saunters down Detroit’s Grand Boulevard like Petula Clark on Carnaby Street. Promises wades on the edges of pure pop and echoing psychedelia, though it’s tough to get a grip on her heralded songwriting prowess, so overwhelming is the production. It is easy to tell from the Ronnie Spector-esque “It’s Never What You Say” and tearful “If You Weren’t So Beautiful” her heart hurts. It shows not all things can be cured . . . downtown.
— Kevin Keegan
Click here to download “Whatever Happened To The Love We Knew?”
