Remember Ben Folds' hit "Brick" when he was fronting the mathematically challenged trio, Ben Folds Five? Their 1997 album "Whatever and Ever Amen" sounded like fun, bouncy '90s nostalgia, even then. Z Ben Folds, "Songs for Silverman" (Sony) And we are again reminded why we started listening - and why we'll keep on doing so. The entire album, on which Amerie co-wrote several songs and serves as executive producer, is solid, seamless party - until Amerie unwisely decides to slow things down, like on the so-so "Can We Go" with Carl Thomas and the unremarkable "Falling." But just when we start to lose our interest, she brings us back to the fold with another version of "1 Thing," a remix with Eve.
On "Touch," Amerie smartly takes a cue from today's other R&B songtresses (Ciara, Nivea, Brooke Valentine) and taps crunk czar Lil' Jon for a great club track that could be the dance anthem of the summer (in fact, it sounds suspiciously like LAST YEAR's dance anthem, which Lil Jon also created - Usher's "Yeah" - right down to the synth hooks). The album's title track is another winner. "Rolling Down My Face" is a great midtempo song with an intoxicating Roy Ayers sample that sets it off perfectly. But it perfectly meshes with Amerie's layered "ooohs" and soaring vocal climaxes to allow both the beat and her voice to shine. The album's first single, the smash "1 Thing," has an infectious funky hook that almost forces you on the dance floor - and Amerie could have easily been an afterthought on her own song. Her sophomore effort, "Touch," has just the right musical one: at its core are solid rump-shakers that perfectly complement Amerie's sweet but occasionally thin voice. But more than enhancing her sex appeal, Amerie has smartly revved up her groove appeal, making her more than just a pretty starlet with a semblance of a voice. She's dropped the girl-next-door look for a sleek, glamorous image a la that other one-named sensation, Beyonce. Now Amerie has developed into an artist who can certainly keep our ears open and our eyes peeled.
AP file photo by Jennifer GraylockĪmerie first caught our ear in 2002 with the sugary "Why Don't We Fall In Love," an uptempo love ditty that had just enough of a groove to keep our attention - but just barely. Amerie's sophomore album has some solid rump-shakers in the mix.
0 kommentar(er)
