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Album Review
by SashaS
27-8-2001
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| Alicia Keys |
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Alicia Keys: 'Songs In A Minor'
(J Records/BMG)
Alicia Keys – Songs to feel sad, elated and amused in equal measures
In line with the communising culture to a lesser denominator, more to the level of un-demanding forms of entertainment, artist are getting recognition while true talent remains overlooked. One of the better examples is Alicia Keys whose shifted some respectable qualities of music Stateside; the young US performer’s debut album ‘Songs In A Minor’ is a cellebration of songs that really can enlighten anybody’s day.
Ms Keys, the 20-year-old classically trained pianist and chorister from Manhattan, has made an album that surpasses all the neo-R’n’B, nu-soul and placid hip-hop with collection of songs that at times are jazz-flavoured to disarm even the choosiest listener. It appears that Clive Davis, founder of J Records and former boss of BMG, was looking for a new Whitney Houston but found someone who is much more like Roberta Flack.
The confident performance here stretches from the contemporary sounding ‘Troubles’ to the journeys into jazz-land where she lets it freewheel that certainly are moments to really amaze in this world of one-dimensional musical predictability. We certainly need more artists of such-like calibre who challenge fluffy showbiz.
‘Piano & I’ glides into ones aural vicinity with subtle classical tunes of spoken vocal and an angelic choir, to set the wide perimeters of her musical approach. There are moments when Keys bows down to the current level of creativity where ‘Girlfriend’ is quite ordinary and yet more erotic than anything else done in the market place.
’Fallin’’ and ‘Troubles’ are right on the money but even then Keys manages to inject few surprises. She goes emo-deeper in ‘A Woman’s Worth’ and rules in the ballad-domain (‘Goodbye’). It is breathless and sexy, virtual love making to one’s Eustachian tube.
Keys even handles Prince’s ‘How Come You Don’t Call Me’ that sees her expend vocal range to the vocal acrobatics of soulful proportions. Music is often minimally orchestrated but when you have such a rich and dominant voice there is no need to burden it with sonic distractions. But, a composition like ‘The Life’, with its funked-up beat, is just the ticket to the dance floor, while ‘Butterflyz’ is simply divinely romantic.
Quite crucially sultry.
SashaS
27-8-2001
Alicia Keys’ ‘Songs In A Minor’ is out now on J Records/BMG
Wordage: 373; Mon., Aug. 27, 2001; 11:11:11am
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