Neo-Soul, Page 7

 
Eric Benét
The One
(Warner Bros.)
by Brent Faulknerer
 
Eric Benét’s sixth studio album The One picks up where 2010’s Lost in Time left off – with Eric continuing to play into his role of soul-revivalist and soul-preserver. The One is filled with and characterized by lush productions comprised of strings, horns, swirling electric piano, organ and harmonized vocals. That said, The One does not bring anything ‘new’ to the table that one hasn’t heard form Benét. It does, however, add another sound effort to Benét’s underrated musical output. Face it – that falsetto is ‘killer.’

 
K’Jon | Moving On
Up & Up Records
By Peggy Oliver
 
It is fair to say that extreme talent and intense perseverance have not always expedited opening music industry doors. Many well-deserving vocalists and musicians strive to find their niche before they strike a chord with an audience and land their first major radio exposure. Singer/songwriter K’Jon’s story is like many who dream to touch others with their music. Since he was eight years old, K’Jon figured that music was his way of life.

 
SWV | I Missed Us
(Mass Appeal/eOne Music)
By Brent Faulkner
 
SWV (Sisters With Voices) was a popular 1990‘s female R&B trio comprised of Tamara “Taj” George, Cheryl “Coko” Clemons and Leann “Lelee” Lyons. SWV return with 2012’s I Missed Us, their fourth studio effort and first new album in fifteen years since 1997’s Release Some Tension (excluding 1999’s A Special Christmas). Remarkably, middle age has done nothing to curtail the trio’s magical voices.

 
Mary J. Blige | My Life II…The Journey Continues (Act I)
by Brent Faulkner
 
Any artist, regardless of genre, would be hard pressed to follow-up one
of their most pivotal releases with a worthwhile sequel. On My Life
II… The Journey Continues (Act I), that is what R&B standout Mary
J. Blige attempts to do. The result is a pleasant effort, but an effort
that never eclipses the original My Life, nor does it eclipse Blige’s
modern masterpiece, The Breakthrough. Despite this and some humdrum,
less distinct moments, there is enough solid material to make My Life II
an enjoyable, though not necessarily the most important or vital effort
in Blige’s rich discography.

 
Carl Thomas | Conquer
By Stella Titus-Ayala
 
Carl Thomas and his long awaited and anticipated New Album “CONQUER” hits you with smooth contemporary R&B tracks like “THE NIGHT IS YOURS” and many more to come. This track just goes to show you that in his absence he was going deeper within his talent and musical vault before resurfacing with hot new sounds for the project.

 
Maysa | Motions of Love
Shanachie Entertainment
By Peggy Oliver
 
Mentored by an urban music icon and raised by a U.K. jazz soul band, Maysa Leak has breathed sweet life into many songs from the vaults of soul, R&B and jazz catalogs and conveyed many personal tales of love found, lost and found. And though there are still more achievements to conquer, such as developing a stage play about jazz legend Sarah Vaughn, Maysa
has etched amazing musical memories, primarily with Stevie (Wonder) and Incognito.

 
Lalah Hathaway | Where It All Begins
By Peggy Oliver
 
Lalah Hathaway is one of the most entrusted vocalists the music industry has ever known. While many will always recognize Hathaway as the daughter of one of soul music’s classic stylists, Donny Hathaway, she has etched her own voice by successfully capturing her father’s essence with her warm alto. Her dynamics of layering jazz sensibility with pop, R&B, soul and gospel is quite impeccable; giving urban music a sometimes needed fresh injection that started with her self-titled release in 1990.