Writer's Note: Slim pickings on the tie-ins today, so I'm going with a random music review of birthday girl Alicia Keys that I wrote for UAB's Kaleidoscope back on January 10th, 2010.
On a side note, I'm scheduled to see a few more Oscar-baity type movies this weekend, so look for a Top 10 Movies of the Year list soon. I know it's a bit late, but I hadn't seen a lot of the awards hopefuls this year, so I felt woefully under-prepared for any sort of list at the end of last year.
Since I no longer have a deadline for movie-related stuff, I figured I'd wait until I saw a few more movies than I had already, which wasn't much last year, unfortunately. (Lots of blockbuster-type movies and left-of-center stuff, hardly any "serious" movies, alas. But we all know what's more fun, don't we?)
That has since been rectified over the holidays, and I now feel more confident in making a list, but I want to see a couple more flicks before I do, as I suspect they might make the list. We shall see. Look for the list sometime over the next week, and a Flashback Friday Double Feature entry tomorrow for "Messiah of Evil" and "Seizure"!
Alicia Keys left a little something something under the tree for fans this past Christmas, just as she did the year before with the worldwide hit “As I Am.” At this point her songs have become virtual standards- just ask the many who have massacred her tunes at auditions for “American Idol” and the like.
They include “Fallin’," "A Woman’s Worth,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” “No One,” “Like You’ll Never See Me Again,” and “Superwoman.” She made “boo” a part of the popular vernacular with her single “My Boo” with Usher and is currently gunning for a new state anthem for New York with her inescapable Jay-Z collab “Empire State of Mind (Part One).”
Still, there’s no denying Keys has a comfort zone that she rarely ventures out of, save the occasional upbeat mid-tempo anomaly, such as the superlative “Teenage Love Affair,” a 60’s girl group pastiche that makes you wish she took a few more chances now and again. Well, just as Norah Jones has picked up a guitar in favor of her usual piano on her latest, so does the lovely Miss Keys take a few similar outside-the-box risks on her latest, “The Element of Freedom.”
Granted, it takes a bit to get going, starting off as fairly business as usual, albeit with a bit of a swing in her step with the opener, “Through It All.” After that, the CD is a bit same-y for a while, including the first single, “Doesn’t Mean Anything,” which could practically be “No One” Part Two, which could account for its lackluster presence on the charts.
Then along comes the second single, “Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart” and things start to take a turn for the better. Sexy and aching, with a near-trip-hop vibe, the song belongs squarely in her canon of winners, and thankfully, things continue on that path for much of the rest of the record.
“Wait Til' You See My Smile” has an 80's vibe to it, with hints of 70’s-era Stevie Wonder and a driving beat that gives the song a real forward momentum unusual to her oeuvre. “Un-thinkable (I’m Ready)” continues the beat-heavy makeover, this time of the more mechanical variety, with a solid assist from up-and-coming singer/rapper Drake, and some nice fluttery guitar lines and angelic back-up vocals.
Real (and quite impressive) drums return for the nicely mid-tempo, reggae-inflected, summery “Love is my Disease.” “Like the Sea” brings back the drum machine in a heavy beat oddly reminiscent of Gary Glitter’s sports anthem “Rock ‘n’ Roll, Part 2,” though the similarities end there. As with “Un-thinkable,” the layered background vocals impress, as do the odd flourishes that also crop up on “Smile.”
Beyonce crops up on the solid hit-contender “Put It in a Love Song,” with a marching beat, a catchy chorus and a killer bridge. “This Bed” and that song qualify as near-funky by Keys’ standards, with a decided Prince influence readily apparent, though longtime fans will recall her superlative cover of the Purple One’s “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore,” so it's not entirely unprecedented.
Things get a bit ballad-heavy again for the rest of the CD, though “How It Feels to Fly” has a nice back-up from a gospel-type choir, and it’s nice to hear a solo Keys version of the ubiquitous “Empire State of Mind” here subtitled: “Part Two, Broken Down.” Which you prefer no doubt boils down to whether you prefer your New York anthems rapper-free or not.
All in all, despite the occasional lulls, this may well be Keys’ most solid and wow-inducing effort yet. Granted, it does take a few listens to appreciate all the layers going on underneath the surface, but the reward is great for those who give it a chance. Fans will need no convincing, to be sure, but even newcomers might be surprised at the relative diversity on display, though if this sort of music has never been your cup of tea before, it likely won’t change your mind on the whole.
Alicia Keys remains one of the most invaluable R&B artists we have, and while it might be fun to see her let her hair down a bit more often, let’s face it: if it isn’t broke, why fix it? Keys may not take that many overt risks on “The Element of Freedom,” but it’s certainly a step in the right direction. Now if we could just get some more guitar in there… Norah Jones, are you available?
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