cletta1201's Full Review: World Outside My Window by Glenn Lewis
Canada seems to be establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with on the soul music scene with artists like Remy Shand and another newcomer Glenn Lewis. Lewis has essentially been heralded as the second coming of legend Stevie Wonder on his debut album World Outside My Window, and although I see touches of the influence and admiration for Stevie – Glenn isn’t Stevie’s prodigy as a matter of fact I think he sounds more like R&B singer Carl Thomas than anyone else.
Right now within R&B music and especially with male singers there isn’t anyone who’s just blowing me away, everything that comes out just sounds the same or like something I’ve heard 20 times before so I was hoping that Lewis would be something different, sadly he is not. The single that introduced Lewis to the world was Don’t You Forget It which also appeared on the Red Star Sounds Vol.1 – Soul Searching album. On this song I could here the Wonder comparison and this song is actually good. Good in the sense that it conjures up old soul music with its simple organization and emphasis on vocals.
Having said that I feel the Wonder comparison might be a little too generous; I don’t want anyone to be angry because I’m not saying that Lewis isn’t talented. He definitely has a voice that you could listen to and on Lonely he sounds like Eric Benet and Carl Thomas all wrapped into one. Which isn’t a bad mix, it’s just not all that stirring either. I suppose it’s always easier to compare someone to someone else but that’s just what comes to mind and brings me back to a point I made earlier. That although this is a solid album, it sounds like I’ve heard it before and so it doesn’t hold interest that well.
This Love is quite beautiful and at this point I realize that where Lewis excels is in knowing his limitations and talents. The album never really moves past mid-tempo so that does give it a consistent feel and sound. Lewis knows that he’s the strongest at slow songs or ballads and so there are a lot of them and they do suit him. One More Day comes the closest to being a “fast song” and although it isn’t terrible you concentrate more on what’s going on musically than vocally. Dream sounds formulaic as does much of the album, I understand the vision and what the producers tried to accomplish but it all ends up sounding the same. It should be said that all of the album’s 15 songs were produced by the same people (Andre Harris and Vidal Davis ) and that Lewis himself helped co-write some of the songs.
Sticking with my theme of comparisons, Is It True sounds like Musiq Soulchild. The parallel is uncanny to be honest. Even though it sounds like someone else, the song is good and one of the stronger tracks on the album. Never Too Late is also a good track, a bit overproduced but good nonetheless. The Stevie Wonder complex comes back on It’s Not Fair and I must say it suits Lewis. The piano melody and background vocals all meld together to create something that is a bit distinct on an album that at times seems to run together.
Perhaps one of the reasons that the album seems to run together for me is that at 15 tracks it just seems to be a bit on the long side. I know that most people want to get more bang for your buck but I could do without some of the filler on the album. Songs like Your Song (For You) and Something To See seem to be just about passing the time and not much else.
If you like soul music or today’s R&B – I suggest that you check this out, you might like it. If you’re looking for something a little different or hoping that Lewis is the new Stevie Wonder, you’re going to have to check elsewhere. For now, Lewis remains in that category of R&B singers that are extremely talented but just get all jumbled together because they pretty much all sound the same.
Track Listing
1. Simple Things
2. Beautiful Eyes
3. Don’t You Forget It
4. Something To See
5. Lonely
6. This Love
7. One More Day
8. Dream
9. Is It True
10. Never Too Late
11. Take Me
12. Sorry
13. Take You High
14. It’s Not Fair
15. Your Song (For You)
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