Culture | MusicJohn Newman - Revolve, album review: 'a maturing vocal talent'British soul singer emerges from Sam Smith's shadow with ebullient retro pop albumChanneling Jacko: John Newman goes for swaggering funk on upbeat second album Imeh Akpanudosen/GettyAndre Paine16 October 2015Despite scoring No 1 singles with Rudimental, Calvin Harris and as a solo artist, Yorkshireman John Newman has been overshadowed by another bequiffed British soul singer – Sam Smith.John Newman - RevolveOn Revolve, Newman avoids the soppy ballads of his rival in favour of ebullient, retro soul-pop that’s awash with guitar licks, stonking horns and sharp grooves from top US producers.The LA sessions must have cost his label a fortune, but it was worth it. Backed by Michael Jackson’s musicians, he even appears to channel Jacko on the lithe R&B of Killing Me.Newman emerges as a maturing vocal talent in his own right on the swaggering funk of We All Get Lonely, the slinky Something Special and rasping anthem Give You My Love.Only the stentorian voiceover from Idris Elba seems out of place on this soul man’s second album.(Island)MORE ABOUTJohn NewmanAlbum Review
