The charts are so clogged up with young, female RandB stars right now that it's hard to get excited about the return of Brandy after a four year absence. And, indeed, the 23-year-old Mississippi diva has recently made her mark in so many other fields (amongst other things, her own sitcom and cosmetics contract) that you can't help wondering whether her music is now a genuinely-held passion or just another showbiz sideline. Any such doubts should be dispelled by Full Moon, a dazzlingly slick album that displays a mastery of everything from sugary pop to pulsating dancefloor workouts, bolstered by Brandy's silky, ultra-smooth vocals. While much of the credit should probably go to the production team, on this evidence there's little doubt that this is one starlet who thinks just that little bit bigger than most of her rivals. Now, any chance of getting someone to write her some decent lyrics next time?
