Mel C

'It's me on a plate, pretty much'. This is how Melanie Chisholm describes the content of 'Reason', her second solo project, and follow-up to 1999's much loved and multi-platinum debut, 'Northern Star'. And what a gourmet feast she represents. With her vocals displaying a new warmth and maturity, and her songwriting yet more boldly assured and energetic than before, she is set to turn any remaining preconceptions about her upside down. This is not the work of a manufactured pop puppet, but that of a richly gifted and imaginative artist. In both personal and artistic terms, 'Reason' is a joy and triumph and a giant step forwards.