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Album Review
by Booji Boyo
27-11-2001
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Various: 'Quartet of divas'
(Various)
A short guide to contemporary R’n’B for people who reckon that ‘Star Wars’ is the greatest film ever
Blu Cantrell
‘So Blu’
(RCA/BMG)
One hardly has had time to get used to beauty’n’talent combo of Alicia Keys when another album by equally gorgeous and gifted diva-babe, Blu Cantrell, hits the senses. Mellifluous voice, gentle tones and funky ballads, vocal performance to melt you wintry-frosted windscreen, and sex-appeal to tame the football-hooligan (we wish). R’n’B has the unjust reputation of a ‘girlie-genre’ but Blu’s current single ‘Hit ‘Em Up Stylee’, as well as ‘Waste My Time’, ‘I’ll Find A Way’ and ‘Swingin’’ demonstrate that this is gender-unrestricted. Recommended for people who have problem connecting with their feminine side. (8/10)
Jill Scott
‘Experience’
(Epic/Sony)
Three Grammy nominations and a place on People magazine’s 50 most beautiful list is the summation of a year for Philadelphia’s Jill Scott. The first disc is live renditions (and re-interpretations) of songs from the debut ‘Who Is Jill Scott?’ and the second is an assortment of new live and studio material. It stretches from a spoken word ‘Thickness’, delicate ‘Justice’ and a nu-soul monster ‘Gotta Get Up’. This diva is obviously not ready to start resting on her laurels but continue to push herself to the limit and her music over the standard’s edge. ‘Experience’, it certainly is… (8.6/10)
Angie Stone
‘Mahogany Soul’
(J Records/Arista)
‘Mahogany Soul’ case sports a sticker that proclaims ‘The Queen of Neo-soul is back!’ which is all-fine but can we dispense with such labelling? Angie Stone is a very powerful and impressive singer to lower itself to the Michael Jackson’s level of self-aggrandisement. Songs like the current single ‘Brotha’, as well as ‘Wish I Didn’t Miss You’ and ‘More Than A Woman’ are soul stirring, heart (or thereabouts) fondling and (make) love inducing. A tad too traditional for this taste but that’s what Ms Stone does and she does it so, erm… soulfully? (7.5/10)
Anastacia
‘Freak Of Nature’
(Universal)
Although Anastacia resembles older sister of Britney (with specs), this lady knows how to drop a damn fine R’n’B tune. Her album is not strictly genre-defined and alongside R’n’B killer of ‘Why’d You Lie To Me’, funky ‘One Day In Your Life’, soulful rock of the title track, there is a power ballad ‘You’ll Never Be Alone’ and croon-along ‘I Dreamed You’. Anastacia broke globally last year with ‘Not That Kind’ and this is an apt continuation. Her current single ‘Paid My Dues’ contains a line ‘Punched in the face in LA’ after she got hit during a defence of her (female) friend from an alcohol-infused ‘suitor’. (7/10)
Bonus ‘track’
Destiny’s Child
‘The Eight Days Of Christmas’
(Columbia)
Four weeks to Christmas time and the three Texan babes offer us their seasonal versions… Seasonal ploy to rake monies in. (4/10)
Booji Boyo
27-11-2001
All these albums have been released over the concluding November 2001 weeks on the respective labels.
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