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R. Kelly is classic and classy on great CD R. Kelly, “Love Letter” (Jive) Is that you, R. Kelly? That may be a fair question to ask after listening to “Love Letter,” the brilliant new album from the self-proclaimed Pied Piper of R&B. “Love Letter” is a gorgeous, 15-track ode to the various stages of love, drawing from a retro [...] Album reviews: Justin Bieber, R Kelly, Hinder ARTIST: CHRISTINA AGUILERA, CHER ALBUM: BURLESQUE: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK NEW YORK (Billboard) – The soundtrack to “Burlesque,” Christina Aguilera’s first star vehicle, could be a continuation of her 2006 album “Back to Basics.” And why not? It showcased her distinctive flair for the big band style. The soundtrack comes on the [...] Eric Benet loses sexy on ‘Lost in Time’ Eric Benet “Lost in Time” (Reprise) The latest effort from Eric Benet is titled “Lost in Time,” and we can only imagine that the crooner is alluding to the disappearance of his “sexy.” The 44-year-old Benet got off to a great start with first single, “Sometimes I Cry,” using his butterscotch [...] Chrisette Michele releases gutsy 3rd album Chrisette Michele, “Let Freedom Reign” (Def Jam Recordings) Chrisette Michele has never been a run-of-the-mill R&B singer, and the Grammy Award-winner pulls even further away from the pack with the gutsy “Let Freedom Reign.” Now on her third disc, Michele bends her vintage vocals to take on love, loss and headier topics — [...] Jazmine Sullivan wows on second album Jazmine Sullivan, “Love Me Back” (J Records) Jazmine Sullivan’s sophomore disc, “Love Me Back,” is something amazing. Sure, her first album was good, but what the 23-year-old powerhouse does on the second reveals a layer that 2008 debut “Fearless” had only hinted at. Her first two singles, the Missy Elliot-produced “Holding You Down (Goin’ [...] Faith Evans delivers soulful, predictable songs Faith Evans, “Something About Faith,” (eOne Music) Faith Evans’ musical style hasn’t changed much over the years, and her sixth studio album, “Something About Faith,” delivers the latest batch of soulful yet predictable ballads from the R&B singer. Evans reveals a more elegant sound with first single “Gone Already,” showcasing her slightly trembling [...] Bruno Mars shows promise on debut album Bruno Mars, “Doo-Wops & Hooligans” (Elektra) The release of Bruno Mars’ debut album finds the singer-songwriter-producer in the spotlight for both good and bad. He’s already scored hits co-writing and producing Flo Rida’s “Right Round,” B.o.B’s “Nothin’ on You” and “Billionaire” with Travie McCoy, and has a No. 1 song on his [...] Same old Usher on ‘Raymond v. Raymond’ Usher’s latest disc, Raymond v. Raymond, is a bit like deja vu. It has all the elements of his earlier albums. There’s the less than subtle autobiographical relationship track, in this case, it’s a song about divorce (Papers). And in the vein of 2004′s ‘Confessions’, a woefully apologetic Usher spills the [...] Toni Braxton – Pulse review In a career that has seen its share of high and lows, Toni Braxton has explored a number of musical avenues. Debuting as a sophisticated R&B chanteuse with a jazzy edge, she transformed into a pop balladeer within her first few years of success. Then, after a brief stint on Broadway, she [...] Dessa ‘A Badly Broken Code’ Review In a lot of ways, Dessa is a music critic’s nightmare. Debut records are supposed to be easy: you let it sit with you for a while, leisurely note your thoughts as they come, then organize those thoughts into something coherent. There’s always the matter of context, of course, but most [...] |
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