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India.Arie
Voyage to India
label: Universal
released: 09.24.02
our score: 2.5 out of 5.0
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In the last
few years, a new genre has emerged bringing musicians such as
Macy Gray, Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, and perhaps even Lauryn Hill
into the spotlight. Dubbed NeoSoul, it brings together elements
of passionate, almost lustful vocals, stripped down acoustic sound,
and bluesy flavor. Joining her list of predecessors, India.Arie
contributes her new album Voyage To India to the growing
scene.
Voyage,
Arie's follow-up to her debut Acoustic Soul, is a balance
of her trademarked acoustic guitar that compliments her husky,
soulful voice and produced beats that add a hip-hop essence. Although
done well, the added beats produced in the studio, seemingly distract
from the nature of Arie's music rather than accentuating it.
This is proven
in the track "Talk To Her". The song, which is a word
of advice to men over the world about how to respect the women
in their lives by being honest and expressing themselves, masks
snips of her guitar with over-produced resonance.
There are,
on the other hand, tracks that showcase the full extent of Arie's
talent. In addition to the striking intro ("The only thing
constant in the world is change/That's why I take life as it comes"),
"Beautiful Surprise" lives up to it's title. Perhaps
one of the purist songs on the album, "Beautiful..."
perfectly blends her vocal talent, soft guitar strumming and gentle
drum beats. Other highpoints include "The Truth" (about
a love affair with her equal), "Can I Walk With You"
(asking to be involved with a special someone), and "Good
Man" (a ballad about loosing the man in one's life).
Still, a few
good tracks do not an excellent album make. And Voyage
is ample proof. While Acoustic Soul sparked a large interest
in Arie, Voyage to India doesn't do much to fan the flames.
30-Oct-2002
2:25 PM
If you
liked Voyage to India...
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Tracklist:
1.
Headed In The Right Direction
2. Truth, The
3. Little Things
4. Interested
5. One, The
6. Get It Together
7. Slow Down
8. India's Song
9. Thankful
10. Beautiful Surprise
11. Power Of Words
12. God Is Real
13. Afraid Of The Dark
14. Good Man
15. God Is Real
16. Interested |
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