Soulful vocals over a very dry hip-hop beat, that can hardly be called an original sound in 2005. Yet in the enormous range in the so-called neo soul genre there are still singers to be found who immediately stand out. Avani already received the approval of prominent colleagues such as Mica Paris and Rahsaan Patterson and found shelter with the English quality label Dome (Beverley Knight, Tasha's
… World). She wrote the twelve compositions herself for her debut album The Real Thing; Only Watching You (a duet with Patterson) is an adaptation of the hit by the British soul group Loose Ends. The modest music is invariably composed of minimal beats and colored with strings, synth and Rhodes sounds. The beautiful voice of Avani is prominent in the mix, so that the music retains a certain intimacy despite the measured production. Indeed: The Real Thing! (MS)more
