Next month I’m travelling down to the big smoke to cover a live Alec Parks performance. I pulled down her debut album, INTRODUCTION, from my very dusty bachelor pad shelves to remind me of why this young artist caught the nation’s imagination back in 2003. I seem to remember that it received mixed critical reviews, while we rated it very highly and included it in our top albums of the year. It was always going to be a difficult album to put together quickly in order for the record company to capitalise on the artist’s popularity. Well, with just a few caveats, it turned out to be an excellent album of her Fame Academy covers, together with new, original material. And two weeks later after retrieving it from its dusty hiding place, I’m still playing it…

In the last two weeks I have received debut albums from two other female singer/songwriters, Stephanie Kirkham and Ireland’s Claire Sproule. Both artists and albums have received strong critical acclaim, with Kirkham being compared to the likes of Kate Bush, Bjork, and other greats. I just don’t see it, but more importantly, I’ve compared the new Parks album with them and it slaughters them from every perspective. HONESTY has once again been met by a very mixed bag of reviews, while fans appear to genuinely love it. So who’s right? After having played the album many times, I believe fans have won by a score of 4-1. As with just about every album released there has to be reservations; very few albums are perfect; and on this occasion the score line includes a single own-goal.

But this is more than the story of one album; it’s the ongoing story of an unusually talented and distinctive reality TV contest winner - the musical road is littered with the remains of very brief winner careers. Parks is a very different musical talent, and the challenge for her record company to help her build a long-term career is a complex one, compromised by the need to turn in a healthy profit on investment. And in a market where musical mediocrity in this deadly numbers game seems to work - short-term at least.

HONESTY is an album of twelve new and original songs, plus a rather surprising hidden track. Parks had a writing hand in all the songs which she has described as very personal. Lie opens the album in a dark, sensual, and quite epic way. The song has just about everything going for it, including a strong melody, superb and original musical arrangement, good lyrics, and a fine vocal that accurately reflects the song’s ebb and flow. Next song, Out Of Touch, sustains a contemplative ambience with Parks providing a more fragile (almost child-like) vocal performance, backed by a restrained and well-judged instrumental treatment. It’s solo pop at its very best, and suited to more mature listeners. Single, Looking For Water, sounds to me as though it was a song demanded by the record company for the ratings battle. However, it is well written with simple but strong lyrics: “Some days are harder than others, mountains we climb get things done… Trying to make sense of the way I’m feeling, looking for sanctuary but funding none.” Despite some questionable electronic sounds, it’s a good song, and perhaps even a little too good to be classified as chart fodder.

Subtle acoustic guitar tones echo in the next track, So Emotional. Parks communicates the song’s introspective and moving message expressively, and with a sincerity that leads one to believe that every word reveals a personal truth. Lost Without A Name is a very similar type of reflective, slow-paced song, but with piano notes and muted drum machine replacing the guitar, and just the occasional telling vocal crescendo. Another strong melody and instrumental arrangement completes a beautiful, haunting and distinctive song.

Next track, Get Out, goes more upbeat, and with its chart friendly choruses could well be the next single. The middle-eight signals an interesting rocky guitar riff, and the type of building momentum that pop-seekers will cheer. A country guitar introduces the disappointing title track Honesty, that looks and sounds like it was designed and destined for the singles chart.

Back to the best with the diverse paced and gorgeous Adore. It’s an album song that proves that Parks is able to vocally match just about any sentiment and vibe that you can chuck at her. From The Inside underlines the message with a superb example of this young lady’s vocal quality, and her vibrato adding depth to the desperate, intensely emotional message. This is probably my favourite album track. Or so I thought. Sweeter And Sweeter is a gentle, glacially paced song with the most subtle and perfect piano accompaniment. The arrangement is superb and gives the vocal acres of space to express itself, and with great sensitivity. Oh hell! Perhaps this one’s my favourite…

Truth Or Dare tests my ‘best-of’ judgement again with a song so complete in its quality, emotional strength and utter beauty. Lyrically, it’s hints at the potential of Parks to reach the top of the song writing tree: “I watch you sleeping, you’re dreaming again, are you flying, are you falling, are you waiting to be pulled out of the dark…” - simple and compelling words that will resonate with many. The album closes on the brief and fragile Moment, and just when I think it’s all over I notice that the play clock is still ticking. In fact it carries on for several minutes before the playful, Latin beat secret track is revealed. It has no name because it doesn’t need one. It’s Parks just having fun, along with everybody who discovers it…

HONESTY is an accomplished second album that hints strongly of even greater things to come. It’s an introspective, highly accessible album that needs a couple of plays to fully appreciate its true and wonderful quality. As a singer/songwriter, this could actually be regarded as the young lady’s debut album. In classic generic tradition, Parks reveals inner thoughts and feelings in a way that will appeal to a very wide audience. It is also good enough to have been included in our ‘best of 2005’ list, if the record company had sent us a copy in time for consideration… Strongly recommended.

4.5/5