Track Listing

1. Copasetik & Cool Feat. Roots Manuva
2. Think Again
3. All That (+Bag Of Chips)
4. Pieces
5. Blue Tears
6. Alright (Bacon &Quarmby Mix)
7. That Way
8. What’s Goin’ Down?
9. Reach As One
10. Lonely Road
11. Mad Love
12. All That (Classic Strings Mix)
13. I’ve Got Me
14. Alright (Original Version)
15. Pieces (Darryl’s Mox)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #102526 in Music
• Released on: 2002-11-25
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Hilary Mwelwa, alias Hil St. Soul, has long been touted as one of UK R&B's brightest hopes. Few, however, could have anticipated the brilliance of her second album, Copasetic & Cool, which sees her graduate from the UK R&B scene to stand proud next to Beverley Knight as a world-class soul act. Favouring solid tunes, sexy struts and smouldering grooves instead of fashion conscious production, Copasetic & Cool pits Mwelwa squarely against America's rootsier R&B acts. Like a combination of Alicia Keys, Sunshine Anderson, India.Arie and Jill Scott's best, it's a staggering leap forward from her promising, but largely unfocused 1999 debut, Soul Organic.

"Pieces" is a gorgeously heartbreaking end-of-the-affair ballad which, like the similarly sassy yet tragic "Blue Tears", pairs her sweetly optimistic voice with a melody that just begs for tears. Meanwhile, she does elation with just as much style and grace. "I've Got Me" is a joyous gospel celebration of music and the human spirit, "Alright" is a roof-raising club track and the blissful "All That" unleashes a fiercely gyrating Arabian beat of hand bells, tablas and dogmatic bass thuds over which Mwelwa rejoices in her new-found love. With not even the faintest hint of filler, Copasetic & Cool is a truly flawless collection. Brit-soul diehards might sniff at its American-ness, but they'll be the only ones who can find anything to complain about. --Mark Daniels

Customer Reviews

excellent return -- all that and a bag of chips
Hil St. Soul's 2nd release -- Copasetik and Cool -- is a welcome return to form. One of the best vocalist is British soul (if not soul music in general) -- Hilary Mwela's voice just gets better. She sings here with more assurance/conviction and the grooves are up to the minute yet still preserves the classic touch. I play this straight through --although I kind of wince when I hear the track "Better think again' -- that type of funk is not my cup of tea. However everyone back in the States that I play this for wants to know immediately who it is.... it's one of my best kept secrets!!!! Overall one of the best soul release in 2002 -- Soul is still strong thanks to the UK holding it down.