Latest releases reviewed

CIARA
La Face
Sony-BMG 
**

Two tracks into the début album from Atlanta teen Ciara Harris and you really can appreciate what all the fuss is about. Indeed, if every pop album opened with punches like the title track and 1, 2 Step, we'd all be knocking ourselves out in delight. Spirited and bumping, these are set to become ubiquitous bangers on your radio. Once you get beyond here, however, every notion that sweet ol' crunking Ciara is the bubbliest thing since an overpriced glass of Cristal fly out the nearest window. There are just too many moments here when you could be listening to any one of a dozen R&B baby-divas. It's the overproduced, bland ballads which do the damage, each one slinky, streamlined and buffed to the nines as if it's about to totter out for a night on the town. More crunk, less gloss please.

www.ciaraworld.com