Officially,
Hope --
Susan Boyle's sixth album since 2009, every record appearing in time for the holiday season like clockwork -- is her first non-thematic album since 2011's
Someone to Watch Over Me, but in broad terms every one of
Boyle's records feels the same and this 2014 set is no exception. Relying heavily on the pop standards of the '60s and early '70s with the comparatively recent cover of
Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" and
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" offered as spice,
Hope is cut from the same cloth as its predecessors: it's nothing but songs that have been handed down through the generations via variety shows, all arranged not to offend. This has been
Boyle's modus operandi since
I Dreamed a Dream but
Hope, like
Standing Ovation: The Greatest Songs from the Stage and
Home for Christmas, benefits from the absence of her original producer
Steve Mac, who gave her original album a chilly somnolence.
Hope still is in danger of dragging due to its stateliness but the surroundings are warmer, which is not only a better fit for
Boyle's voice but also means the record comes closer to providing a comforting bath of familiarity. By design, there are no surprises in either the songs or arrangements on
Hope, but the execution is precise and professional and
Boyle and her fans both benefit from this shift in tone. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
