Check Our Catalog “The result is Carey’s most sonically and tonally coherent release, a mix of love ballads (‘Inseparable’) and sassy breakup anthems (‘Standing O’) that might have been her best album had it been several songs shorter.”–Rolling Stone
Category Archive for 'Soul'
Check Our Catalog “Full of the kind of catchy tunes that usually mean a record label has spent a mint on expensive writers and producers, but the writing is all her own work. Her lyrics are more intelligent than your average 21-year-old’s, more sophisticated young woman than gobby teen.”–The Guardian
Michael Johns: Hold Back My Heart
Posted in Blues, Rock/Pop, Soul, Southern Rock on Oct 2nd, 2009
Check Our Catalog “Johns makes his post-Idol debut with Hold Back My Heart, a surprisingly strong album that finds him doing what he does best: soul, Southern rock, and contemporary blues.
Check Our Catalog “Ledisi wails and belts with a kind of power previously untapped–in recorded form, at least–all the while maintaining remarkable finesse.”–All Music Guide
Anjulie: Anjulie
Posted in Soul on Oct 1st, 2009
Check Our Catalog “All together it makes for an often sumptuous debut album of lithe, modern coffeehouse soul…that smartly avoids the bohemian.”–New York Times
Maxwell: BLACKsummers’night
Posted in Soul on Oct 1st, 2009
Check Our Catalog “BLACKsummers’night is all devotion, regret, and heartache…The musicians morph with every shift in emotion through arrangements that are unfailingly exquisite and sensitively nuanced, even when they are briskly played.”–All Music Guide
Check Our Catalog “The reason to fall for Corneille is his unique comfortable and conversational lyrics. Unfortunately, this self-produced album sounds a tad too bright and the great “I’ll Never Call You Home Again” is way too heavy to be anything but a closing number. Still, returning fans will find Corneille’s evolution remarkable, while all [...]
Check Our Catalog “Coming Back to You is a set of throwback soul that has as much appeal as any other likeminded release from the past couple years…All the promise Doolittle showed on national television [American Idol] as a powerhouse vocalist is fulfilled, and whatever she lacked as an assured performer — she often seemed [...]
Check Our Catalog The 2008 self-titled debut album of Jennifer Kate Hudson reflects her high-powered soulful style voice which is transcendent and timeless. Guests features on the album include Fantasia on “I’m His Only Woman”, Ludacris on “Pocketbook”, plus the highlights version of “And I am Telling You I’m Not Going” from Dreamgirls. Jennifer first [...]
Brandy: Human
Posted in R&B, Rap/Hip Hop, Rock/Pop, Soul on Feb 26th, 2009
Check Our Catalog “Human is easily the most platitudinal Brandy album, but it is no less compelling for it, even when blocking out the complicated context of the singer’s personal life.”–All Music Guide
Check Our Catalog “Finally, Joan Osborne has come to her senses and recorded a soul record. Osborne splits the album between soul classics and self-penned tunes in the vernacular of that music. Osborne has developed into a great modern soul songwriter in the grand tradition. This is her best overall recording, and is highly recommended [...]
T-Pain: Thr33 Ringz
Posted in Rap/Hip Hop, Rock/Pop, Soul on Jan 16th, 2009
Check Our Catalog “On Thr33 Ringz, more than ever, that robotic voice is just part of an effort to reconcile cold technology and warm soul.”—Entertainment Weekly “The king of ring tones, and czar of gimmick hits, follows up his last smash with more singles-chart bait.”—New York Daily News
Check Our Catalog “Sullivan’s vocal perfection pilots her debut album, Fearless, and boasts her self-penned lyrics which are filled with struggle and heartache, embodying every inch of the soul star she is.”—Vibe
Seal: Soul
Posted in Soul on Dec 18th, 2008
Check Our Catalog “A great voice singing great songs recorded by a great producer. That is ‘Soul’, the sixth studio album from multiplatinum selling, Grammy-winning, critically acclaimed Seal. Each song is a stone-cold soul classic”—Amazon.com
Check Our Catalog “Tina! covers a lot of ground and gives a pretty good indication of Turner’s far-reaching talents and long-ranging career, but it’s also a bit of a mess, jumping between eras, overlooking some big hits, and substituting live versions when the studio is superior. So don’t think of Tina! as a definitive comp, [...]
Check Our Catalog “Rebounding from the mess of his divorce from Halle Berry — and the ensuing Hurricane of an album — Eric Benet returns to what he does best on Love & Life: making music for love-making. Slow and sultry and steeped in Stevie, Marvin, Luther, and especially Quincy Jones-produced Michael Jackson and Prince’s [...]
Check Our Catalog “The title for Ne-Yo’s third CD was inspired by the entertainment era when style mavens like Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra ruled.”—Barnes & Noble “Unlike the callous studs of hip-hop, Ne-Yo makes himself sympathetic and vulnerable, and more so than ever on Year of the Gentleman.”—New York Times
Check Our Catalog “The big question that greets listeners encountering Al Green’s third Blue Note album, Lay It Down, is: what happens when you put that amazing soul-drenched voice in the hands of hip-hop producers Ahmir Thompson of the Roots and James Poyser, and add a slew of superstar guests? Answer: a killer Al Green [...]
Lalah Hathaway: Self Portrait
Posted in Dance & DJ, R&B, Rock/Pop, Soul on Nov 21st, 2008
Check Our Catalog Critically acclaimed vocalist and song stylist Lalah Hathaway continues the musical legacy with her Stax Records debut, a contemporary urban soul collection that takes you on a journey through joy and sadness and everything in between. “In total control of her voice at all times, she has never been prone to showing [...]
Check Our Catalog “This is a peppy album, rich with thumping horns, crisp percussion and light piano melodies. As homage, it’s impressive.”—New York Times