Jonathan & Charlotte // Perhaps Love

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After the release by the Syco label last year, Jonathan & Charlotte have moved (probably next door) to Sony Classical. So does this move make their latest offering, Perhaps Love build on the foundations of their debut release, Together?

The answer is...we don't really know what to make of the album. Opening with Perhaps Love, a beautiful little, string driven ballad before moving into the well known (Arms of an) Angel. In a first for this album, we have solo performances and the first comes from Jonathan in the form of Santa Lucia.

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again from The Phantom Of The Opera gives Charlotte her first solo on the album before the pair join up again on Falling Slowly bringing us memories of their last offering to the table. Next we have the oddity that is You've Got The Love and we say oddity because it seems Charlotte doesn't know what voice to use.

Another solo excursion for Jonathan on the classic O Sole Mio that is delivered with power and passion. Another solo from Charlotte in the form of Caro Mio Ben. The classic Lionel Richie & Diana Ross duet Endless Love comes next but sadly, there is nothing here on the original.

Another solo for Jonathan in Va Pensiero, again, beautifully delivered utilising his voice once more before giving way for Charlotte's rendition of It Must Have Been Love. The last two tracks bring the pair back together though in our opinion, When A Child is Born suits more Jonathan while O Holy Night is more towards Charlotte.

As we said, we're not entirely sure what to make of this album. There are safe choices here in songs you could call traditional standards in the classical crossover genre meaning really, there's nothing new there. But sadly, the attempt to bring well known 'pop' songs over, sadly doesn't work well either, feeling at times, a bit of a train wreck, particularly with You've Got The Love.

There is a positive side to this. Sang predominantly in English this time around, we start to hear another sound from Jonathan. It's a sound of confidence not just singing in Italian, but also English. Sadly though it feels at times that Charlotte is over pronouncing words that makes it feel a little unnatural and more often, more of a pop edge to her voice. Placing both this and their debut side by side, Together is easily the better album. Something's been lost in the year between the two albums. Perhaps Love?

Rating: 2/5

Jonathan & Charlotte // Together

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They were finalists in the Britain’s Got Talent (some say that they were the outright winners!) and though a certain member of the panel originally tried to have them split up, they stuck to their guns and stayed together, ultimately winning that panel member over in the end. Now they release their debut album, Together.

Opening with the well known The Prayer a song that they performed but at their audition and in the final, but this time joined with fellow Britain's Got Talent participants Only Boys Aloud. Caruso comes up next followed by Vero Amore (Your Song) . The ever popular Ave Maria comes up next, and somehow you can't help think that the album wouldn't be right without it, and even Jonathan manages to showcase a gentler voice than has been heard up until this point.

A take on Muse's Unintended, entitled Forse follows along with Take That's Rule The World (Ill Mondo e Nostro) (first recorded by Camilla Kerslake. Another operatic track called Canto Della Terra brings it back to the classical side of things before three well known pop songs are given the classical treatment ( Ognuno Soffre (Everybody Hurts), Chi Mai Vivra Per Sempre? (Who Wants To Live Forever) and La Prima Volta (The First Time I Saw Your Face))

The long list is interesting in that whilst there is a selection of pop tracks they aren't just covers. They are given a classical twist so possibly bringing them to another audience. It's hard to believe that these two are only 17 years old. A safe but probably strong song list. Hopefully it's not the only album that the pair get to release, but it would be good to see them not fall into the typical songs expected from someone in their genres.

Rating: 4/5