2010 marks 10 years since its inception, but with tracks such as Watching Me outlining a frustration of living in a “Big Brother-type world”, Jill Scotts debut is still relatable and relevant then ever. Smooth and seductive it’s 84 degrees of listening beauty. Words & Sounds Volume 1 is a blend of songs and performance poetry combining Jill Scott’s vocal ability, most evident in tracks ‘He Loves Me’ and ‘Love Rain’.

Scott’s quite funny; she really is. On the ironically titled ‘Exclusively’ she uses the cool backdrop of a Jazzy Jeff production to depict a scene in which she discovers that her partner has been unfaithful. One minute she’s on cloud 9, thinking she’s got a good thing going, the next things turn around overnight. In a little over 2 minutes Scott manages to describe this painful event in a way which leaves the listener smiling to oneself, thinking, “Did that just happen?”

‘On A Long Walk’ you have one of the catchiest hooks, bridges and productions off the album. The track is addictive, rendering it difficult to listen through without a repeated reload.

There are so many good tracks on this album that picking a standout prove to be an impossible task. How about ‘It’s Love’, the song that sparked a cover version which became a top 10 hit? Or perhaps again ‘Love Rain’, a poem about being so infatuated by love that you are blinded by it. Beautiful.

Words Chinwe Ojielo
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