South London resident Baz is the sister of both DJ and producer Dave Angel and rapper Monie Love, and "Believers", her debut single, is apparently an exponent of 'undersoul', described as 'passionate soulful pop underscored by hip-hop beats and grainy grooves'. Which it probably is, but to me it sounds little different to hundreds of other soul-tinged pop songs I probably couldn't name with a gun to my head. You could probably trace this kind of music back to the likes of Des'ree or Shara Nelson, the kind of shiny soul/pop/dance hybrid that stands little chance of impressing the cynical old indie kid without dread like Massive Attack at the controls, shaping it into something darker.
BAZ Smile To Shine (One Little Indian)Baz's (sister of both Monie Love and Dave Angel) debut single, "Believers", sounded to my jaundiced ears like perfectly programmed Radio 1 daytime pop/dance fodder, later confirmed when it was played during the only time I was forcibly subjected to Radio 1 during the last six months. Her second single, "Smile To Shine", sounds like a deliberate, nay calculated, attempt to expand the template and push the envelope. There are lovely, chiming acoustic guitar flourishes all over the shop, and the lyrics seem to be rather more self-consciously spiritual than is absolutely necessary. Harmless fluff that will be pouring out of a radio near you soon, but the fact that it's probably better than 99% of its type doesn’t necessarily make it something I'd enjoy listening to again.