Monday, January 7, 2008

Chrisette Michele - I Am

01 - Like A Dream - If you put Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and Michelle Williams (Destiny's Child) voices (in that order) in a pot, melted them down, the result you'd pull out of that pot would be Chrisette's voice. Very neo-soul. There are a lot of jazz chords that she employs that very much work for she and her voice. This song is awesome, actually. The instrumentation seems to me like it samples something that I can't put my finger on, but lyrically it's been done before--as in, there was nothing really groundbreaking in the way the thoughts were expressed. But it's a solid track. Rating: 3.5/5

02 - Work It Out - The song starts out kind of slow for me, but once the chorus hits, it's no holds barred! I mean, the chorus drives this soul groove. Her lyrical interpretation is quite refreshing, especially in the current musical client when vocals aren't the most important thing. Instrumentally this is almost the second coming of Alicia Keys' "Fallin'." She really reminds me of a young Aretha on this track. Rating: 3.5/5

03 - If I Have My Way - The entire structure of the song reminds me of D'Angelo's, "How Does It Feel?" In fact, I'll go so far as to say that this is the female version of that song. At points, she sounds remarkably like Stephanie Mills; maybe it's just the her tones, but they definitely share tones. Very solid, easy listening, soulful, filler track. This song would never make it on today's radio, but would be a smash on Quiet Storm radio. Rating: 3.5/5

04 - Best Of Me - This is an alternative, soul track--something I'd expect to hear really from someone like Alanis Morisette or Sheryl Crowe. Really not my cup 'o tea. It's another one of those instrumentals that I don't like. But the bridge really saves this track because she begins to break out of the alternative mode and goes straight into jazz mode which I quite like. Rating: 3/5

05 - Your Joy - This acoustic only track I quite enjoy. For some reason, it reminds me of Erykah Badu's "Green Eyes" from the Mama's Gun album. That's strange because the songs are two different genres. But I think what makes me compare them is the emphasis on the lyrical content (which is AWESOME) and the vocals. Filler track, but an AWESOME filler track. Rating: 4/5

06 - Good Girl - I'm sorry to keep comparing songs, but this reminds me of Jill Scott's "Hate On Me" but just in the verses; the choruses are very dissimilar. I really enjoy her delivery on this song. This is a filler track, but it's another solid filler track. This actually could be a single--video only or radio only. Rating: 3.5/5

07 - Be Okay (featuring Will.I.Am) - I don't know which track they chose as the lead off single (I've yet to hear a single from her or see a video, for that matter) but if they've released anything other than this track, they're wrong. This is her "splash" onto the music scene. The instrumental is quite bland, but her vocals save it. Will.I.Am's rap also resurrects the song. This is quite a strong track and I like it. It's akin, lyrically, to Destiny's Child's "Survivor." Rating: 3/5

08 - Mr. Radio - Immediately, the song's instrumental takes you back to that mid-90s, slow-TLC's "Diggin'"/"Red Light Special"-kinda-groove. She sounds remarkably like Erykah Badu on this track. While this is a filler track, like her other filler tracks, it's not a bad filler track. It's actually quite, well, groovy. Rating: 3.5/5

09 - Golden - Song draws another comparision to a song I love so much: Lauryn Hill's "Nothing Even Matters" from the "Miseducation" album. It sounds like a 2007 version of that song to me. This song is just genius all the way around--instrumentally, vocal delivery, lyrically. Rating: 4/5

10 - Let's Rock - This is probably the least interesting and slowest song on the album. This is almost a speed bump on what's been an overall solid ride through her album. I just didn't care for the instrumental track and even the vocals seemed kind of tired and "something" to me. Definitely not the business. Rating: 2.5/5

11 - Love Is You - Nice piano only instrumental track and vocal performance! The lyrics are not overly complex, but with the content matter, they don't have to be. My only problem with this song is that it's not long enough! Man, if she didn't channel Billie Holiday singing this track.... Rating: 5/5

12 - In This For You - This is the soul version of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab." Man, I only wish this had been serviced to radio while "Rehab" was big. This song would have clearly come out on top (and this is from someone who loves "Rehab.") The raw, passionate, sincere vocals make you believe that she's singing to you and you actually believe what she's singing. Man, excellent track! Rating: 5/5

13 - Is This The... - Very solid, soul track. Putting this on repeat now. Man, JUST LISTEN TO THAT INSTRUMENTAL! Rating: 5/5

14 - Bonus Track - Another very solid track. The harmonies are tight. The instrumental track is perfect and her vocal delivery is just perfect. I love it! Rating: 4/5

Overall Album Review:

Like Jill Scott? Erykah Badu? Aretha Franklin? Lauryn Hill? If so, then this will be a very welcomed addition to your soul/neo-soul collection. This album is probably one of the most overall solid efforts in R&B/Soul since Tamia's latest effort. Everything about this album is listenable, and surprisingly, there's only one weak track. This is definitely not for the hip-hop fan who wants the bass driven songs that could be turned into club hits. This is true soul singing, here. She's defintely made a name for herself in the neo-soul market, and I'll, without a doubt cop anything she releases from this point forward.

Would I recommend buying this album? Absolutely! But its all about the soul and all about the vocals coming from the soul here. If that's not your cup 'o tea, then stay far, far away from this album.

Overall Album Rating: 3.80/5

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