For all their melodrama, though, those songs especially are what (for better or worse) defined Houston at the peak of her success. Such distinctiveness is lacking on I Look To You. With few exceptions, the songstress forgoes the sentimentality and powerhouse vocals of her hit-making, record-breaking heyday for a batch of indiscriminate grooves.
In fact, there’s little among this material — composed by a hodgepodge of writers and arrangers, most with credentials far edgier than this assignment — for Houston to really dig into and make her own. Whether on the drab, techno throb of “Nothin’ But Love” or the frenetic fuss of "For The Lovers" or the utter inanity of “Worth it,” Houston is either buried by or lost within a series of lifeless, synthesized loops and beats.
Then there's "A Song For You," the Leon Russell classic that far too many artists continue to cover either in acts of self-indulgence or ostentation. Outside of Donny Hathaway and Ray Charles, though, most of them haven't done it justice, and Houston has only lumped herself in among that bunch with her distracting, disco-laden version.
Though not enough to save the album as a whole, Houston nevertheless delivers a pair of solid, soulful performances. First, on the Alicia Keys co-written “Million Dollar Bill,” she relishes an old-school vibe that brims with playful exuberance. And with the title track, Houston exhibits that she can still summon her best when interpreting a song that suits her vocal command.
And such has been the case with Whitney Houston all along. However histrionic her singing, her voice was and remains her most redeeming talent. On I Look To You, that talent is undermined by a misguided showcase of slick productions, making for a disappointing comeback.
Self-confidence, together with talent, cultivates excellence. Such is certainly the case for Alicia Keys, who on her third studio album, As I Am, presents her strongest, most consistent effort yet with songs that defy superficial expression.
Indeed, the woman heard here imparts so much uninhibited conviction that her music often sounds like it was spiritually channeled rather than skillfully composed. Some songs evoke an old-school flavor while others feel entirely of the moment. Whatever the mood or the muse, though, Keys commands each one with a voice that’s matured into one almighty instrument.
While the emotive power of her voice exceeds almost anything she’s done prior, the album wouldn’t fare as well as it does if the songs themselves weren’t this good. “Teenage Love Affair” for instance, draws on a retro vibe and playful lyrics, with Keys as a coy schoolgirl who fools around with her crush before she sneaks back home. In a more grown-up scenario, “Lesson Learned,” which features John Mayer on both backing vocals and guitar, Keys guides a subtle groove with her piano while relating the heartache of a woman scorned yet strengthened by a broken relationship. And, with its Hip/Hop rhythms infused with dominant percussion, she wields “Wreckless Love” into a shameless plea for passion amid a fizzling romance.
It’s on “Sure Looks Good To Me,” the album’s closing track, that Keys exhibits the full breadth of her abilities. A piano begins the song, whereupon Keys sings in a voice achingly raw and soulful. The music evolves in its texture and progression, the sound of drums steadily rising toward a sonic plateau where the singer lets loose and wails, “I’m gonna risk it all/No freedom, no fall.” Organic in its tone, virulent in its intensity, and direct in its delivery, this song summarizes the album’s foremost theme of self-assurance.
As I Am constitutes the most cohesive album that Alicia Keys has created to date. While her preceding albums have illustrated a prodigious artist with formidable talent, this effort demonstrates an improvement and expansion of that talent.
Posts
