Relentless (Jo O'Meara album)
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Relentless
| type = Album
| artist = Jo O'Meara
| cover = Jo_O'Meara_Relentless.jpg
| alt =
| released = 3 October 2005
| recorded = 2004–2005
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Pop
| length = 52:16
| label = Sanctuary
| producer =
- Fred Johansen
- Cliff Masterson
- Paul Meehan
- Stefan Olsson
- Bill Padley
- Brian Rawling
- Graham Stack
- Jeff Taylor
- Mark Taylor
- Eg White
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = With Love
| next_year = 2021
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Relentless'
| type = studio
| single1 = What Hurts the Most
| single1date = 26 September 2005
}}
}}
Relentless is the debut solo album by English singer Jo O'Meara. It was released by Sanctuary Records on 3 October 2005 in the United Kingdom, two and a half years after the initial split of her band S Club 7 in May 2003. Chiefly produced by Brian Rawling and co-written by O'Meara, the album is a mix of contemporary pop, disco and soulful ballads. It debuted and peaked at 48 on the UK Albums Chart.{{cite web|url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/jo%20omeara|title=The Official Charts Company - Jo O'Meara|date=5 May 2013|publisher=The Official Charts Company}}
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
|rev1 = The Guardian
|rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2005/sep/30/shopping4|title=Jo O'Meara, Relentless|first=Caroline|last=Sullivan|date=30 September 2005|website=The Guardian|access-date=17 October 2020}}
}}
Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian found that "her solo album confirms beyond debate that [O'Meara] does indeed have a voice, and an Aguilera-type tornado at that, but it also proves that S Club's club-footed balladry still has a pernicious hold. The Celine Dion-ised slurpiness of the opening title track kickstarts a whole album's worth of future hen party classics. To hear her wasting her strong, sure vocals on sub-Kylie generica like "Let's Love" and the Nashville-via-Essex stab at country, "Never Felt Like This," is a pain. The joyous redemption of "Wish I Was Over You" is reminiscent of S Club's one claim to fabness, "Don't Stop Moving, and," similarly, just highlights the tepidness of the rest." BBC Music's James Blake called Relentless "slick, well constructed and safer than a bet on black still being in fashion this time next year [...] However that doesn't detract from this being a fairly decent debut; far better than certain other ex boy and girl band members."{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/xqf9/|title=Jo O'Meara, Relentless, Review|first= James|last=Blake|date=30 September 2005|website=BBC Music|access-date=17 October 2020}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| total_length = 52:16
| title1 = Relentless
| writer1 = {{flat list|
- Paul Meehan
- Steve Torch
- Tim Woodcock
}}
| extra1 =
{{flat list|
- Brian Rawling
- Meehan
}}
| length1 = 3:52
| title2 = What Hurts the Most
| writer2 = {{flat list|
}}
| extra2 =
{{flat list|
- Rawling
}}
| length2 = 3:29
| title3 = Wish I Was Over You
| writer3 = {{flat list|
- Jeff Taylor
- Karen Poole
- Mark Taylor
}}
| extra3 =
{{flat list|
- M. Taylor
- J. Taylor
- Rawling
- Graham Stack
}}
| length3 = 3:11
| title4 = To Ease Your Pain
| writer4 = {{flat list|
- Billy Steinberg
- Jimmy Harry
- Laila Samuelsen
}}
| extra4 = Stack
| length4 = 3:52
| title5 = You Didn't Know
| writer5 = {{flat list|
- Andy Hayman
- Fred Johansen
- Jo O'Meara
- Stefan Olssen
}}
| extra5 =
{{flat list|
- Johansen
- Olsson
- Meehan{{ref|a|[a]}}
}}
| length5 = 4:46
| title6 = Never Felt Like This
| writer6 = {{flat list|
- Meehan
- Woodcock
}}
| extra6 = Meehan
| length6 = 3:41
| title7 = Let's Love
| writer7 = {{flat list|
- Hayman
- Johansen
- Olssen
}}
| extra7 =
{{flat list|
- Johansen
- Olssen
- Meehan{{ref|a|[a]}}
}}
| length7 = 3:51
| title8 = Baby I'm a Fool
| writer8 = {{flat list|
- Bill Padley
- Eg White
}}
| extra8 =
{{flat list|
- Padley
- White
- Meehan{{ref|a|[a]}}
}}
| length8 = 3:27
| title9 = I Believe in You
| writer9 = {{flat list|
- Hayman
- Cliff Masterson
- O'Meara
}}
| extra9 = Masterson
| length9 = 3:41
| title10 = Never Meant to Break Your Heart
| writer10 = {{flat list|
- O'Meara
- Meehan
- Woodcock
}}
| extra10 = Meehan
| length10 = 3:52
| title11 = It's Your Love
| writer11 = Stephony Smith
| extra11 =
{{flat list|
- Rawling
- Meehan
}}
| length11 = 3:43
| title12 = It Felt Like Love
| writer12 = {{flat list|
- Ben Adams
- Mark Read
}}
| extra12 = Meehan
| length12 = 3:37
| title13 = That's Where I'll Belong
| writer13 = {{flat list|
- Katherine Ellis
- Meehan
- Woodcock
}}
| extra13 = Meehan
| length13 = 3:29
| title14 = Rainbow's End
| writer14 = {{flat list|
- Masterson
- O'Meara
}}
| extra14 = Meehan
| length14 = 3:45
}}
Notes
- {{sup|{{note|a|[a]}}}} signifies an additional producer.
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col" | Chart (2005)
! scope="col" | Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|Scotland|56|artist=Jo O'Meara|album=Relentless|rowheader=true|accessdate=17 October 2020|refname="scottishchart"}} |
| {{album chart|UK|48|artist=Jo O'Meara|album=Relentless|rowheader=true|accessdate=17 October 2020|refname="ukchart"}} |
References
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Relentless (Jo O'meara Album)}}
Category:Albums produced by Brian Rawling
Category:Sanctuary Records albums
Category:Albums produced by Bill Padley
Category:Albums produced by Graham Stack (record producer)