In the U.S.,
David Grant never enjoyed as much exposure as
Lisa Stansfield,
Soul II Soul,
Loose Ends,
the Style Council, and other soulsters who came out of England in the '80s. The British urban contemporary/soul singer had some hits in the U.K., but it's safe to say that the majority of American R&B fans have heard little or none of his work -- which is regrettable because
Anxious Edge is excellent. This 1990 release offers an attractive blend of soul and urban contemporary elements. The production is high-tech, emphasizing synthesizers and drum machines. But it isn't ultra-gimmicky, nor is
Grant's earnest, somewhat understated vocal style. When unpretentious tracks like "Big Love" (not to be confused with the
Fleetwood Mac song), "Love the Life," and "Keep It Together" are playing, it is obvious that
Grant is quite enamored of
Donny Hathaway,
the Average White Band, and other '70s soul favorites.
Grant not only acknowledges '70s soul on his own songs; he also shows his appreciation of that era on a memorable cover of
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "Wake Up Everybody."
Anxious Edge is a perfect example of what music critic
Nelson George called "retro nuevo" in the '80s and '90s -- it is retro because of the strong '70s influences, and it is nuevo (by late-'80s/early-'90s standards) because of the high-tech urban/hip-hop production. 4th & Broadway/Island hoped that this CD would be
Grant's commercial breakthrough in the U.S., but
Anxious Edge -- like his previous releases -- did a lot more in England that it did on the American side of the Atlantic Ocean. Nonetheless,
Anxious Edge is a fine album that soul and urban lovers (American, British, or otherwise) would do well to search for.