Human

Almost fifteen years into her music career, Brandy has evolved from the young and sassy teenager singing out her wishes of wanting to be “down” to a refined, mature and sensual chanteuse.

Human, her fifth solo album and first for Epic Records, finds Brandy reunited with longtime collaborator Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins (the solid “The Definition” as well as the first single “Right Here (Departed)” and other newcomers such as Toby Gad (Beyonce), RedOne (Trina, Usher) and Midi Mafia (Fantasia, Jennifer Lopez).

Vocally versatile and never missing a single beat, Brandy consistently weaves melodious textures around each of the fifteen songs, centered on the growth from being in love (the excellent “1st and Love”), the fear of heartbreak (the eerie “Shattered Heart”) and personal anthems (the relaxed, but slightly trite title track). But when the album drags through plodding or near-lifeless material (“Piano Man”), it is her voice never lets up, making one wish that the production equally matched her emotive and impassioned performances. Additionally, the material leaked to the internet over the past year (notably, the Timbaland-sounding “List” and “Porcelain Doll”, the pounding and captivating “Sweet Nothings”, and percussive “Maximum Risk”, among countless others) begs the nagging question of why those tracks weren’t put in place of the weaker inclusions.

There are very few, if any, sleek or sexy moments that match the peaks displayed on 2004’s Afrodisiac. Still, Brandy is likely to keep many satisfied with a back to basics formula with her latest release.

Here's the Video to her second single "Long Distance"



As heard by...Michael Tilus.

808s & Heartbreak

Gone are the usual high walls of sped-up R&B-soul samples and melodically clobbering beats. In their place, Mr. West favored sweeping strings, sparse programming, auto-tuned vocals, quirky keyboarding and, yes…808-assisted drums for his fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak. Lyrically, he abandons his socially-conscious leanings in an effort to deliver the unloading of emotional baggage accrued from a the loss of his mother and a broken engagement over the past year (thus, explaining the absence of the mascot ‘Dropout Bear’ in support of the expressionless promotional pictures of Mr. West and a deflated heart-shaped balloon on the album cover).

Recorded over three weeks in Hawaii, the 12-track opus provides ample ground to convey his late-night introspection, confusion, loss and heartache. “Love Lockdown”, the album’s first single signaled a new chapter in Kanye’s musical career, puzzled fans and critics with its troubled lyrics, rumbling tribal drums and shuffling keys among other effects. With its shift from popular hip-hop towards downtempo, 80s-tinged electronica, the album is somber (the dragging and indulgent opener “Say You Will”) and at times difficult to take all in one sitting (the lazy “Amazing” featuring Young Jeezy).

Nevertheless, West is focused in his lauded inventiveness to challenge his listeners and his contemporaries to expand their capabilities. Case in point – the highlight “RoboCop” takes an arresting, machinery-sounding track awash with swirling strings to make humorous yet striking jabs at his longtime girlfriend Alexis Phifer, (“You’re just an L.A. girl/You need to stop it now/Oh, you’re kidding me/Oh! You must be joking/Oh! You are smoking.” he ad-libs with a smug tone). “See You In My Nightmares” (featuring a guest spot by Lil’ Wayne) meets an annoyed Kanye snarling over an insistent electronic beat with pulsing synth blips. But the most affecting moment comes from the final track, “Pinocchio Story”, free-styled and recorded live in Singapore with a mellow acoustic accompaniment (reportedly added at the last minute after Beyonce’s request). It is here that he delivers his most touching lines. “There is no clothes that I could buy that could bring back the time/There is no vacation spot I could fly that could bring back a real piece of real life/Real life, what does it feel like?” It is here that Mr. West strips down the ego that buoyed most of his past three albums and brings an inherent insecurity that fame brings to the fore. It has been reported that he has begun recording his 5th studio album, tentatively titled A Good Ass Job for release in 2009. Apparently, he has already accomplished the feat.



As heard by...Michael Tilus.

The Kick Off