Preview / Review
Album Review: Will Young, Leave Right Now
Many American music fans first came to know Will Young and his music through the use of his song “Leave Right Now” as this year’s American Idol exit song, but, in fact, the singer-songwriter is a chart-topping artist in England with four multi-platinum albums. He also came to fame in the U.K. as the winner of the very first Pop Idol competition in 2002.
On the heels of “Leave Right Now” bidding adieu to Season Nine’s American Idol castoffs, Will is cashing in on his exposure in the States and has released an eight-song EP, featuring the ballad, which is a chart-topping number one hit in the U.K., as the title track. For the project, Will taps the best and the brightest from his 2003-2008 song catalog including five previous Top 10 hits and four tunes he co-wrote himself. Although Will waited eight years to dip his toes into the waters of American music, it was a smart move on his part as the listener gets acquainted with an artist who knows who he is and is confident in what his music should sound like.
Ironically, the weak link on the EP is the only chart-topping song “Leave Right Now” with its bland sound, but things pick up with “Your Game,” a funky tune reminiscent of Justin Timberlake and Maroon 5 with a splash of soul. With “Friday’s Child,” Will lays back and gives a relaxed performance on a spiritual song that is nice but ends up getting a little old as the track goes on for almost nine minutes. Will changes it up with “Switch It On,” an urgent tune of wanting to break free. Urgency to find that significant other to share your life with is addressed in the beautiful piano ballad “All Time Love” backed with an elegant string section. Will picks the tempo up a bit and showcases the nuances of his voice with “Who Am I” which describes the push-and-pull of a relationship.
Leave Right Now concludes with the two newest tracks – “Changes” and “Grace,” both pulled from Will’s 2008 album Let It Go. “Chances” has an old-school soul feel and really excels with it catchy, feel-good chorus which Will really sells. The cautionary tale of impending loneliness woven in “Grace” is spun in a wonderful performance by the Pop Idol champ. Hopefully, Leave Right Now will be the first of many entries into the American market by this promising artist.
Nikita Palmer for Citadel Digital © 2010
