Circle of One

by Stephen Thomas ErlewineAt the time of the release of her debut, Circle of One, Oleta Adams was best-known as the impassioned backing vocalist on Tears for Fears' 1989 album The Seeds of Love; most prominently featured on "Woman in Chains". About a decade later, she was best-known for "Get Here": a gospel-tinged belter later revived by one Justin Guarini as his showpiece on the 2002 phenomenon American Idol. This, of course, proves that even small hits have an unexpected shelf life, and anybody who decides to go back to Adams' debut may not find anything quite as good -- though the other single, "Rhythm of Life," comes close -- it's nevertheless a high-class, quality, contemporary R&B record that perhaps sounds a little bit too much like its year.