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Ok, let me start out by saying that I quite like Guy Sebastian; a lot of people don’t, finding his whole Australian Idol heritage a little hard to swallow. I have to admit I for the most part side with these people, people who have trouble reconciling Australian Idol, the artist’s subsequent mainstream reach and good old fashion due paying and credibility.

That said, Guy Sebastian was working hard in the business beforehand writing his own music and he has made the very most of this opportunity, no matter how plastic it may be in nature; which may be why I’m a little disappointed that I can’t buy into this record.

Sebastian’s strength is a clinically precise voice, honed and perfected for contemporary r+b with a side of pop. Although Sebastian can indeed mimic soul he is not yet mature or worn in enough to deliver it convincingly himself, making an album of soul covers a little flaccid.

The kids got major chops, but what he doesn’t have is Ray Charles’ electric croon, Otis Reading’s coarse gravel grind, or Al Green’s complete selling power. Sebastian waxes it when he’s called upon to work his magic on the modern complexities of uber-produced radio fodder but when he approaches the old masters the lack of years in his voice shows.

The sparkle and unmistakable qualities that made this music so great all those years ago just isn’t captured on this release, and it’s because Sebastian is so capable and generally on the money that this album disappoints.

He hasn’t done anything wrong here apart from indulge his love of a sound, a style and a place that his voice doesn’t work particularly well in… yet.