When I first heard and saw Alec Parks sing live on BBC TV’s Fame Academy, I was more than pleasantly surprised. As the contest progressed my growing admiration for this young performer turned to concern as it dawned on me that she would win the contest by a country mile. My concern was that the record company would treat her the same as the untalented pop herd that seems to dominate the airwaves. I was concerned that her first album would be over-produced, and that at least some of that wonderful expressive and sincere vocal passion would be lost. I was concerned that Parks would not be regarded as the special and unique artist she is, and that a tailored career development plan to match her attributes would be difficult to formulate. I actually hoped she would, by some miracle, lose the contest and be taken on by a smaller, independent label, and that her first album would take a more sparse production route. Of course, Alex Parks won the Fame Academy contest but I’m hopeful…

I failed to receive a review copy of the album and so went in search of it. Ebay, for once, failed me. One independent shop only had two copies of which only one had been sold in four days. I then went to music chain MVC who had sold ten copies in the four days since its release, and failed to provide strong in-store support for it (it took me some time to even find the album…). One major PR firm I contacted seemed pleased that they weren’t handling the album…. In the days and weeks prior to the album’s release I could find only one (non-committal) review in The Times. I finally bought the album and in a single stroke increased MVC’s local branch sales of INTRODUCTION by a massive 10%. It should be flying off the shelves because it’s a wonderful record, although I do have reservations. I opened the lid of the case to find three other ‘pop’ stars staring at me, namely: Sophie Ellis Bextor, Amy Studt and Rachel Stevens. There was also an advertising card promoting Alex Parks ringtones and ‘Welcome to the official Alex Parks Ringtones service. Text to receive them direct to your mobile.’ Oh hell! It seems to me that a creative dream is becoming a marketing opportunity…

What about the music? Polydor have taken the correct short-term route in opting for songs performed so beautifully during the contest, in addition to six original songs including the first single, Maybe That’s What It Takes. In promoting Parks, the marketing men have chosen to opt for teen pop programming and print. I think they have missed the mark. Parks is miles away from the Rachel Stevens, Studt and Bextor mould, and has far greater potential in the more mature market (20 years plus). Every song on the album is good to excellent, including the opening single track. But, like a few other tracks here, production is heavy-handed, with some of that performance intensity and sensitivity displayed on the show going walkabout. Take away the deadbeat and relentless bass and it would have been much better. Next track, Cry, is wonderful but the heavy bass rhythm and over-production tries hard to drown a superb vocal performance by Parks. This track, for me, marks this young lady out as very, very special. Dirty Pretty Words is a more upbeat, rocky number and while the vibe is spot-on, that dreadful bass tries very hard to spoil the party.

Remember how wonderful Imagine was on the show? Here it’s not so wonderful with its very pretty pop treatment and Parks’ rather timid vocal. Not Your Average Kind Of Girl is a beautiful pop ballad that provides full scope for Parks to quietly, pensively drive the sentiments home, without interference from those bloody drum beats. Mad World has a simple piano backdrop with Parks in great, expressive voice as she performs a wonderful and very different cover version. Everybody Hurts starts wonderfully with wafting string section before Parks wanders so gently into the picture. My only problem is that the passionate crescendos don’t really happen, not vocally anyway. The song lacks some of the passion and deep emotion of her live performance but is still an excellent track.

One of the highlights of Fame Academy was the Christina Aguilera hit, Beautiful. Production has failed Parks on the record and I feel that a starker arrangement would have been better. Then the incredible highlight of the album in Stones & Feathers. Production is stripped down, as Parks gives one of the finest and most expressive vocal renditions I’ve heard by any female artist in this or any other year. This should be the next single and I think it will fly (on both sides of the pond) with its beautifully judged vocal harmonies, incredible melody and spot-on production.

Next is Here Comes The Rain Again and another tremendous cover version with Parks making the song her own. Yellow follows and I get the feeling that it’s somewhat vocally restrained and sticks too closely to the original Coldplayinstrumental arrangement. The album closes on two cracking songs. Wandering Soul exhibits how well and enthusiastically Parks copes in a heavier rock environment, while Over Conscious proves her ability to conquer soul-influenced ballads.

INTRODUCTION is a very fine album occasionally marred with injudicious production. Overall, Polydor deserve congratulations on launching Parks and creating a wonderful debut album. Time to put Fame Academy mental blocks away because INTRODUCTION proves that Alex Parks is a genuine and rare UK talent in the ascent.

4.5/5