Consumer Guide Album

Terence Trent D'Arby: Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby [Columbia, 1987]
He can sing sweet or gritty, write sweet, gritty, or pretentious. His rhythms and arrangements show a sense of roots and a sense of style. He's got black consciousness and pop ambition. Which sums up why everybody wants this record to achieve what it promises. Summing up what it does achieve is the best cut, a Smokey Robinson song--which you'll think is his own until you check the fine print. B+