To start, Leslie Henstock needs to be seen on Broadway as either Glinda or Elphaba (or BOTH) in WICKED one day (Godwilling)!  Her talent goes both ways, so to speak...she can sing pop and "belt" stuff (as in the title song), but she can also do more legitimate musical theatre material (as in "Think of Me").  Leslie is such a unique performer and I can't wait to see more of her in the future.  You will NOT regret purchasing this album!  Every single track is a delight, including the popular songs "I Can't Make You Love Me" and "Time After Time" (the timeless Cyndi Lauper ballad).  BRAVO, Leslie, on a perfect album!
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Leslie Henstock.  What a delight she is!  A lyric soprano, a belter, a legit Broadway-type singer?  Yes, Leslie is all these, but most of all she a singing actress; her songs sensitively interpreted more than simply sung.  Listen to the verse of her very first song “Not for the Life of Me” a finely acted piece of storytelling before she rips joyfully into the chorus.  Leslie shows her acting ability throughout, in the tenderness of “Wildflowers”, the ditzy humor of “Feelings” (not the old pop song, this is from the Adam and Eve section of the Broadway musical “The Apple Tree”), the edge of determination, toughness and anger in “I Can Do Better Than That”, the gentle warmth of “Time After Time”, and the aching longing of “I Can’t Make You Love Me”.   “Think Of Me” from “The Phantom of the Opera” is often thrown off as a high-flying showpiece for sopranos.  Leslie has the sweetness and purity of voice for it, and she thrillingly takes the high notes of the cadenza, but she also makes the words mean something.  “Soon” from Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music” works perhaps the least well of all the tracks, simply because it’s a difficult song to grasp out of context and the ending is so abrupt it feels unfinished.   Still, it’s exciting when a singer takes a chance on a difficult, rarely-heard piece.  Two other songs that have been heard perhaps too often are “Memory” and “Over The Rainbow”, but Leslie’s manages to make them sound fresh.  She darkens her tone to bring out all the emotions of the first, then lightens it for the second, sounding like the young girl the singer is supposed to be. Her take on “It Would Have Been Wonderful” is touchingly wistful, and “Defying Gravity” builds to an electrifying climax.  This CD leaves you wanting more…and more…  Let’s hope it won’t be too long before Leslie has a follow up CD
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When I first listened to Leslie Henstock's CD I was so pleasantly surprised! First of all, Leslie has a beautiful voice, but what is so wonderful is that she uses it in many different and surprising ways. Just when you think she is just a powerful belter, she sings a song that shows us a stunning lyric soprano, then she shows us her soulful softer side with an awesome version of "I Can't Make You Love Me"(one of my favorites on the cd.) She can really do it all. Bottom line - This album is great!!!
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When i heard this cd I was very impressed. The choices of songs keeps the cd moving. The variety of ranges and styles of music is fun. She really does pour her soul out into her music and you can feel it. I enjoy this cd I listen to it all the time. It leaves you wanting more.
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