Reviewed by Tony Cummings

When I first heard a pre-release version of this album I was hugely impressed with Sam's silkily emotive voice but thought such exceptional vocal talent cried out for an R&B producer familiar with the tastes of today's urban audience. Clearly Sam was of a similar mind because the young Brit gospeller went back into the studios with Ibe Otah, the studio wiz who has already brought us such delights as Siani's "Love Ya". The new, improved 'Splendid Isolation', with four tracks produced by Ibe, is a magnificent debut. The "Highway" cut with a groove driven by what sounds like a clavinet cries out for radio play while "Like You", despite having a potentially disastrous sampled child's voice, works brilliantly too. What is gripping throughout is Sam's voice, which you could describe as a cross between Stevie Wonder and Smokie Norful. The title track where Sam's sweepingly soulful voice is accompanied by just an acoustic guitar shows just what a class act the Midlands-based singer is. Check this out.

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