Reviewed by Trevor Raggatt

It's been a long four-year wait since Esther Alexander's debut album garnered a deserved 10 of 10 review in Cross Rhythms. However, the five tracks presented on her latest EP prove that it's been well worth the wait. 'Last Of The Hopeless Romantics' is a classy slice of mid-tempo pop, which has "Radio 2 Playlist" written all over it. All the tracks are co-written by Alexander and her long-time collaborator, Phil Baggaley, bar "Safe House" which was penned with the EP's Grammy winning producer, Kipper. This and "Come And Find Me" are tender ballads on which the singer's clear and delicate voice is cocooned in cello, muted trumpet and flugelhorn (Matt Redman bassist Matt Weeks forsaking his usual instrument to provide the brass parts). "Other Side Of Winter" provides a perfect showcase for the quality of the singer's voice with simple guitar backing by Baggaley and Dave Clifton. Only the applause which closes the song betrays the live origins of this recording - impressive! The album finishes with an extended "album version" of the title track. This EP is a welcome return from supremely talented singer/songwriter and, from the evidence presented here, bodes well for that album when it does arrive.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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