The overall state of R&B was so sad in 1991 that anything decent really jumped out.
Yasmin's self-titled debut album may not have been outstanding, but the enjoyable collection of jazzy R&B/pop and dance-pop had a lot more soul and integrity than most of the homogenized urban contemporary being released. At the time, some of the best R&B was coming out of Britain, and one can hear the influence of British R&B (
Soul II Soul,
Caron Wheeler and
Lisa Stansfield) on such sleek material as "I Need Time," "Stop This Scene," and "Confusion." Also noteworthy are the hypnotic house number "Sacrifice" and an interpretation of the
Gershwin standard "Summertime" that blends jazz and hip-hop. Though the Danish singer showed some promise, this CD did very little commercially in the U.S.