After teen sensations Charlotte Church and Joss Stone, 15-year-old Olstead's major record company debut comes via the show-biz boost of appearing in films with Russell Crowe and Arnie Schwarzenegger.
Soft-focus photos emulate the Church/Stone model of artist as teen temptress, but does the warbling measure up? Renee employs the bluesy melisma of Joss, crossed with a sound close to Stacey Kent.
Do we need another Joss or Stacey ? Top producer David Foster has selected terrific standards - Sunday Kind Of Love, Someone To Watch Over Me, What A Difference A Day Made, etc, and his own A Love That Will Last is a high point. Happily, Renee seldom visits the scat-vocal land of Ooblie, but if I hear yet another version of Summertime I shall scream and scream until I am violently sick.
Updated: 08:44 Thursday, April 14, 2005
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