Songs In A Minor

Description

Picture Roberta Flack with hip-hop trimmings or DAngelo coming at the world from a female perspective and you get an idea of the immense talent welling up from musical prodigy Alicia Keys. Blessed with a soulful voice, mature-beyond-her-years songwriting, and a classically trained command of piano, its no wonder music mogul Clive Davis brought the 20-year old performer over from Arista as one of the flagship artists for his new label J Records. Keys displays impressive range on this primarily self-penned debut that finds her taking part in arranging and/or production on every cut, once again supporting Davis instincts. Besides the well-earned buzz for the gripping love-and-loathe single Fallin, Keys earns high marks for fusing rap beats and vintage Aretha on a confidently delivered cover of Princes How Come You Dont Call Me. Elsewhere, the native New Yorkers flow finds her traversing the same ground as early-70s Stevie Wonder on the thought-provoking The Life, while Goodbye proves to be the quintessential quiet storm kiss-off. Keys wraps up Songs in A Minor with a sanctified mix of stride piano, lush strings, and gospel-flavored backup singers on Lovin U.