Between Friends
1- The Way I Love You - What a way to open the album--a killer track. It's mellow but it works! This girl can take a dull, nothing special lyric and song and make it magic. Nice job, Tamia. Rating: 3.5/5
2 - Happy - There's something very Brandy about this track, but she does much more with this track than Brandy could ever dream to do. The vocals on this song are excellent; however, they get lost upon the instrumentation. Lyrically, this is not the best, but then again, they're not altogether bad or contrived--it's a typical Darkchild track. UPDATE: Okay, I just changed my rating and got sold on the last part of the track! She brings in her daughter and she and her child sing. It's so candid, real, and cute, especially when she asks Tamia to sing, "Pop Quiz from 2005" (aka "Stranger In My House"). Rating: 3.75/5
3 - Almost - This is the answer to "Stranger In My House" in every way. It's a nice head bopping groove, with a great vocal and lyric. The little rap "overture" is unnecessary and hinders what could have been an overall perfect track--it's a speed bump, if you will. Did I say she sang the heck out of it? Rating: 4.75/5
4- Too Grown For That - Your typical Darkchild track. In fact, you can take the following tracks, put them in a blender and get this song (songs listed in order of importance): "Everytime the Beat Drop" (Monica), "You Don't Know" (Kierra "KiKi" Sheard), "If I Told You That" (Whitney), and "The Boy Is Mine" (Brandy and Monica) and viola you have this track. Rating: 2.75/5
5 - Me - Okay, anyone who knows me knows that I'm a ballad guy, and this is an amazing ballad! The vocals are clear, pristine, and heartfelt! Everything about this song is right--the instrumentation, the vocals, the lyrics, the background vocals. Rating: 5/5
6 - Can't Get Enough - Everything about this song is beneath her--the lyrics, the instrumentation, the vocal interpretation. It was so reminiscent of Ciara (vocally--you can really tell the producer made her sing it the way she did) and lyrically akin to something that should have been on Monica's new CD. It's not a bad song, though. It's simply beneath her talent. Rating: 3/5
7 - Daydreaming - Another head bopper, and a strong one at that. This song has a real 70s vibe to it, and it works for it. Lyrically, it's not masterpiece, but it somehow makes you smile (probably because this is how I treat a woman in a relationship). Nice track. Rating: 3.75/5
8 - Sitting on the Job - The live acoustic feel here is great! And she sings the heck out of it, with fire and conviction! This song is great. Another head bopper! This will definitely be on repeat! Rating: 3.75/5
9 - Last First Kiss - She had me from the first five words, "When it comes to you..." What happened to music like this on the radio? Tamia's bringing R&B/Soul back and she's doing a great job of it! This is Tamia's answer to "Oh Yes" (Whitney) and it's brilliantly sung and interpreted. Excellent! Rating: 4/5
10 - Why Can't It Be - Yet another head bopper. She sings this so sweetly, but lyrics are horribly overused--"Why can't it be that you and me could be all that all that I'm thinking about and all I'm dreaming of?" This song is nothing special, but it is listenable. Rating: 2.75/5
11 - When A Woman - She better sing!!!!! That's all I'll say. She better SAAAAAAAANGGG!!! Rating: 4.75/5
12 - Become Us - This track is 1990s meets 2006 and it somehow works brilliantly. Tamia sings the living daylights out of this song!!! You're in for a treat at the end of the song, though--hilarious! Rating: 3.75/5
13 - Have To Go Through It (featuring Eric Benet) - While the lyrics are a tad cliched, the vocals more than make up for it. They are singing this. The harmonies, while basic, work for this song. The instrumentation is one of those that just make you bop your head and you're unaware that you're doing it. Good job, Tamia and Eric! Rating: 4.75/5
14 - Protect My Heart - This is very Lauryn Hill of her vocally and instrumentally. It's a nice track; not extraordinary. Rating: 3/5
15 - Love and I - I'm loving the way she sings this--it's so sweet and convincing at the same time. The instrumentation is heartbreakingly beautiful; the piano and strings only accompaniment really pulses this song forward. One of the best songs I've heard in a while. But I must warn you--if you've recently broken up with someone, this is not the song to listen to. Rating: 5/5
Overall Album Review:
This album and Justin Timberlake's album are probably the two strongest albums I've heard all year. Justin might have thought he brought sexy back, but I'm sure Tamia's brought good, solid R&B/Soul back and I'm so estatic about it. The girl can definitely SAAANG and she can definitely interpret a lyric. This entire album is listenable in one sitting. Yes, she does a few weak tracks, but even the weak tracks are much stronger and solid than half of the crap you hear on radio now.
Would I recommend this album? Most definitely!
Overall Album Rating: 4/5
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