Syleena Johnson | Acoustic Soul Sessions

Syleena Johnson | Acoustic Soul Sessions
By Peggy Oliver

Syleena Johnson must have graduated from the school of hard knocks. Her closest fans certainly know the path to survival she has endured industry wise. After a debut independent release in 1999, Johnson signed to a major label. Those first three Chapters from Jive Records earned some respectable hits even though the daughter of blues legend Syl Johnson never cracked the top forty compared to R&B peers including Beyonce and Faith (Evans). Johnson returned to the independent world on her own label Aneelys with Chapter 4 before being swept up by Shanachie Entertainment for Chapter 5. Underappreciated at many times as a solo artist commercially though gifted with a voice that cries passion and unbridled honesty, Johnson still presses on and is in the midst of preparing a Chapter 6.

In the meantime, Johnson is receiving a new kind of love with TV One’s R&B Divas that also features Evans. Her recent live listening session just released on Shanachie, Acoustic Soul Sessions, is a very intimate setting recorded in Chicago. This seven-track digital EP primarily showcases her body of work from Chapter 5: Underrated, along with a glimpse from the upcoming Chapter 6 and a personal favorite first performed and written by a legendary rock band.

For the most part, the stripped down backdrops work more favorably because of Johnson’s raw delivery that hits the lyrical points even harder. “A Boss” was originally a thumping R&B/techno flavored hit, but the theme of Johnson’s demand for a man with a CEO take charge attitude still rings loud and clear. Tweet and Johnson’s moving duet on “Angry Girl” addresses a woman who is battling serious anger issues. “Like Thorns” utilizes sarcasm in confronting an ex-lover about jealousy issues. When selecting cover tunes, song choice should try to mesh with the artists’ personality. Johnson fully grasps this concept by selecting the intense ballad, “Wild Horses,” a Rolling Stones classic from 1971, which she also claims is a great acoustic number – a very agreeable point. “Little Things.” delivers a soulful turn from duet partner Malone, yet the vocal arrangement lacks clarity as lead and background voices from the capable vocal trio LakeShore are sometimes inaudible and muddled. A preview of Chapter 6, “I Cut My Hair” deals with masking the misery involved with romance. “Stone Wall” closes this mini concert with Johnson’s own testimonial of riding the personal and professional storms and boldly declaring a refreshing sense of freedom. The only befuddling trait is why this song was overstretched to thirteen minutes.

Other than the few hiccups, Acoustic Soul Sessions presents a marvelous opportunity in hearing Johnson strut her sassiness and sensitivity. In the long run, every single note Johnson sings is birthed from that special place from that unyielding attitude in her musical quest, no matter what the commercial odds are. Four out of five stars.

Peggy Oliver
The Urban Music Scene