Album Review: Jessie Ware – Glasshouse

Jessie Ware’s return to pop music has been, although long-awaited, somewhat understated.

The 33-year-old singer’s third album Glasshouse is Ware’s first album since giving birth, and so naturally fans speculated as to how the songstress’ music would evolve after her journey into motherhood.

Although the album contains hints of the style and flair that Ware is celebrated for, Glasshouse seems to miss the oomph of previous works in Devotion and Tough Love.

Glasshouse does have its stand-out moments, most notably with the lead single ‘Midnight’ which packs that well-needed punch with powerful vocals to kick-start the beginning of a seemingly spectacular return for the singer.

Although the album’s second single ‘Selfish Love’ doesn’t achieve the effect of the first, the sultry Spanish-flavoured song offers a new dimension to the London-born girl that fans may not have experienced before. Ware also offers a Spanish-translated version of the song as a stand-alone track, aptly naming it ‘Egoísta’ as she shows off both her vocal and bilingual abilities.

Nevertheless, Glasshouse leaves us feeling bitterly underwhelmed with few tracks delivering the spark that has seemed so easy for Ware to kindle in the past.

Perhaps Glasshouse’s lack of flair is best captured in the album’s most recent single ‘Alone.’ Needless to say, Jessie contributes stellar vocals to the track, yet this still doesn’t save it from the flavourless production and predictable delivery, which is regrettably apparent throughout a lot of the album.

Having said this, fans still have the chance to enjoy the vivacity that Jessie has loyally served in past albums through ‘Stay Awake, Wait For Me,’ the album’s third track. Supported by a magnificently soothing saxophone melody, Ware asks her lover to stay the night in a passionate display of affection and desire.

Finally, although in a form dissimilar from her previous albums, the singer delivers the zing that her fans have been longing for.

Of course, with every album release, Jessie Ware never fails to deliver a list of quality songs that become staple records of her career. However, Glasshouse’s list of stand-out tracks seems to be damningly short in comparison to previous releases, which leaves listeners with a feeling of disappointment that overshadows the success of the album’s highlights.

6/10