On
Falling Forward
,
Julia Fordham
proves once again that her vocal deftness and range are truly formidable forces.
Fordham
even supplies the background vocals on all of the songs except "River," creating a polished sound with the help of co-producer
Larry Klein
. The album has an even-tempered ambience to it, rarely rising above or falling below the fault line which formulates a graceful fluidity throughout the 11 tracks. While the jazzy adult contemporary-type arrangements may lack ingenuity, the versatility and layers of
's angelic voice are more than enough to carry the album. [In 2017,
was reissued in a two-CD remastered Deluxe Edition featuring 16 bonus tracks.] ~ Erik Crawford