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A big-voiced, fearless singer, Mariah Carey packs loads of punch with melodic flair not heard for a long while.

Definitely a star in the making.

Carey, a 20-year-old New Yorker, has a gorgeous, crystalline voice as expressive as anyone in current pop. Unfortunately, her debut album doesn't offer a striking enough showcase for her remarkable gifts.

The smooth production and restrained arrangement allows the focus to remain on Carey, and she makes the most of it.

I could hear and feel the intensity in her voice on every song from ballads to uptempo.

There's the sense that, as recording of "Mariah Carey" progressed, the singer's coaches took their cues from whatever was new on the pop chart – and wound up a beat behind.

Sometimes, she just lays back and lets the lyrics speak; that's something you can't teach, something singers usually only learn after years of perfecting their craft.

The selection of songs is weak, so the listener doesn't get a solid feel for Carey's talents.

If she's going to stand up to the likes of [Anita] Baker or Lisa Stansfield, she needs more songs like ["I Don't Wanna Cry"] and fewer of the forgettable numbers that fill up the rest of her album.

A little on the quiet side, and tailor-designed for candlelight romantics, the album seems to flow better in parts than as a whole.