It's hard to believe that more than 10 years have passed since Gabrielle's breakthrough single Dreams hit the top spot. Back then, she cut an intriguing figure: the song merging the elegance of Soul II Soul's strings on Back to Life with a nasal vocal line that TLC would have been proud of; not to mention a fashion accessory no-one had dared wear since Pete Burns of Dead Or Alive - the eye-patch.
Since then, however, sunglasses have replaced the patch and the music has become more and more snugly wedged between The Lighthouse Family and Des'ree. Stay The Same does very much as the title suggests, and continues very much from where Out Of Reach left off. It's perfectly-crafted mid-tempo MOR pop; Gabrielle wistfully recounts the break up of a relationship but is confident of overcoming adversity.
Ultimately, it's what we've come to expect from Gabrielle but I can't help feeling disappointed at where she's ended up, given her initial promise.
more