Cilla Black's second long-player is somewhat more successful than her first, perhaps as a result of a year's greater experience and confidence. She sings more boldly throughout and swings a little easier with the music. This album's "One Two Three" is a good deal more successful than its predecessor's "Dancing in the Streets," despite their obvious similarities as songs. The sheer passion that
Black brings to "Make It Easy on Yourself" and "(There's) No Place to Hide" make them decent examples of white British soul; she handles "When I Fall in Love" somewhat less successfully, however -- at the recording's best moment, this reviewer found himself wishing that he were listening to a
Shirley Bassey recording of the song.
Black bounces between pop and soul sounds on the album's second side, from the haunting lyricism of "Sing a Rainbow" to the soaring soul balladry of "Everything I Touch Turns to Tears," and most of it is worth hearing. There's nothing here that's essential for non-fans, but
Cilla Sings a Rainbow is good enough that it could have made her a few new fans at the time. ~ Bruce Eder