Real Love

Although significantly overshadowed by her lauded debut, AFFECTION, Lisa Stansfield's second album, 1991's REAL LOVE, features a number of top-notch tunes by the U.K. dance-pop performer, most notably the hit singles "Change" and "All Woman." While the former song plays up the energetic, club-oriented aspect of Stansfield's aesthetic, the latter number is a R&B ballad that reinforces the vocalist's reputation as one of England's finest blue-eyed-soul acts.
REAL LOVE's true charm, however, lies in its underrated album cuts, particularly the celebratory "Soul Deep," which includes funky Stevie Wonder-like keyboard lines, and the emotive string-tinged title track. With this outing's follow-up, SO NATURAL, receiving a largely tepid reception, REAL LOVE marks the end of Stansfield's late-'80s/early-'90s heyday, though the sultry singer would find later success with the dance-floor anthems of her '97 self-titled release. For those exploring Stansfield's catalogue beyond AFFECTION and/or the BIOGRAPHY collection, this is the album to get.