Music review: Emma Bunton – ëƵMy Happy PlaceëƵ
Looking to add a little spice to your daily routine? The new release from Emma Bunton should do the trick nicely.
Bunton, better known as Baby Spice of the Spice Girls, drops her fourth studio album and first since 2006ëƵs ëƵLife in Mono.ëƵ
ëƵMy Happy PlaceëƵ offers 10 sugar-sweetened pop arrangements featuring the 43-year-old singer covering eight of her personal favorite songs as well as recording two new original compositions.
Co-written by Bunton, ëƵBaby Please DonëƵt StopëƵ opens with a playful and sexy vibe as Bunton sings about unexpectedly falling in love by confessing, ëƵIëƵm not the infatuation kind/But it happened from the moment I met you.ëƵ
Bunton also shares the writing credits on the breakup track ëƵToo Many Teardrops,ëƵ a smooth throwback to the glory days of Motown with Bunton sounding like a young Diana Ross.
ëƵI Only Want to Be with YouëƵ pairs Bunton with Will Young on this elegant acoustic cover that deliberately slows down the pace in contrast to the versions recorded by Dusty Springfield in 1964 and Bay City Rollers in 1976.
Bunton returns to familiar ground when she is joined by English pop star Robbie Williams for a high-spirited performance of ëƵ2 Become 1ëƵ from the Spice Girls.
The classic Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell number ëƵYouëƵre All I Need to Get ByëƵ gets a fresh infusion of love from Bunton and her beau Jade Jones. Originally written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, the remake does a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of true love and commitment to another.
ëƵCome Away with MeëƵ finds Bunton channelling the enchanting vocal style of Norah Jones and a cover of ëƵEmotionëƵ by the Bee Gees features Bunton sounding like vintage Olivia Newton-John.
For ëƵDonëƵt Call Me BabyëƵ by the Australian duo Madison Avenue, Bunton strips away the electronic dance beat and turns it into a celebration of female empowerment as Bunton sternly sings, ëƵYou know I donëƵt belong to you/ItëƵs time you knew IëƵm not your baby/I belong to me.ëƵ
The album comes to a sentimental close with a charming version of George HarrisonëƵs ëƵHere Comes the Sun,ëƵ the song playing when her son was born.
ëƵMy Happy PlaceëƵ is a guilty pleasure you will want to visit again and again.

