john-newmanOne of the more dapper looking gentlemen in pop, John Newman dropped his debut album ‘Tribute’ in the latter half of 2013. His partnership alongside Hackney quartet Rudimental  illustrated an adept vocalist prior to any solo release, and obvious pressure was geared towards delivering  the same soulful hooks that led Love Me Again and Feel The Love to be met with such a strong response.  Already scoring two UK number ones before his debut release, ‘Tribute’ is an album full of weighty pop  and lyrics with substance blending together to make a credible pop album.

As name sake suggests opening track Tribute pays homage to Newman’s musical heroes citing such timeless exemplars of music like Elvis and Aretha Franklin to the more converse Britney Spears. It’s apparent that such contrasting impacts have influenced Newman successfully formulating a decent pop album that shies away from repetitive instrument arrangements and a too often familiar production process that dilutes and shrouds average vocals. Newman’s voice is forever at the forefront, like a triumphant set of armour, it is without doubt his principal weapon. It delves through an assortment of genres but remains fixated on what seems to be the core concept of every single pop album these days, love.

Naturally enough Love Me Again and Cheating are the most robust and sturdy tracks igniting a frenzy of energy with an almost sinewy and beefy sound. Again Newman’s vocals perform perfectly when other artists would become mislaid on an album with such substantial and hefty sound. ‘Tribute’ flirts precariously with everything from gentle piano ballads on Out Of My Head and Down The Line (Deluxe Edition) to propulsive beats and violin accompaniments.

‘Tribute’ is a bit similar to Newman’s trademark quiff. It’s neat, orderly, slick and adds feature to character.  Unfortunately, it’s not innovative enough to differentiate from everyone else who has one. However, there is a big sound and a signature tone to Newman, which pitches him deservedly in the upper echelons of too often ‘generic pop’ releases and deserved merit for writing credits on every track listed.