Born into a volatile world of corruption and hardship in post-Communist Eastern Europe, Ruth Koleva endured a difficult childhood largely spent without her mother. After finding salvation in the classics (Marvin Gaye, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole) she became 'tour-hardened' by jaunts to far-flung destinations such as India and Thailand.

Ruth is Koleva's new album, and contains 11 (53 min) R'n'B and Jazz inspired tracks.

One of the highlights here is the track 'Turn This Around', which was previously released as a single. There's a definite '70s vibe here and what's interesting about this album is that Koleva's voice changes so dramatically from track to track that you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a different singer on each track. Her range is amazing and her style unique.

Ruth is certainly an album I'd recommend if you're a fan of R'n'B.

8

Nick Smithson