Spring just showed up on our doorstep, and it's got more than just wildflowers and cute baby animals in its gift bag. On board are debut releases from a couple of promising artists.
Label boss Jay-Z has been working hard to shore up the star power at his Def Jam imprint. Last year he introduced the world to Rihanna and Teairra Mari. For 2006, Def Jam brings us Ne-Yo, a young soul brother from Las Vegas, Nevada. If you listen to R&B radio, you've probably been familiar with Ne-Yo's work for some time now. He's only twenty-two, but he's already seen considerable success as a songwriter, penning lyrics for the likes of Mary J. Blige, Musiq, and Faith Evans. He co-wrote one of the biggest R&B hits of the past couple of years, Mario's "Let Me Love You."
The music on Ne-Yo's debut, In My Own Words (Def Jam), is similar in spirit to the silky Mario hit. It's earnest, flush with the eagerness of puppy love. It's more emotional than sexual, a quality that's a rarity in today's R&B. And it's got its roots in classic pop, built on big hooks and sticky melodies. This pop sensibility doesn't come at the expense of a nasty groove. Joints like "Sign Me Up" and "Let Me Get This Right" manage to sound both lean and fleshed-out, thanks to production that balances tunefulness with sinuous bass and percussion. Unlike many songwriter-turned-singers, Ne-Yo's voice isn't a weakness. With its curious blend of boyish innocence and worldly despair, his lustrous tenor bears echoes of Michael, circa the Jackson Five.
Joints from the likes of Steve Spacek and Massive Attack prove that the United Kingdom is home to some of soul music's most trend-setting artists. British musicians have a knack for filtering their classic influences into grooves that innovate rather than replicate. The latest light from the land of shepherd's pie and spotted dick is Corinne Bailey Rae. Her singles, "Put Your Records On" and "Like A Star," have been making waves across Europe for months now. Her first album, Corinne Bailey Rae (EMI), debuted in late February at number one on the U.K. charts, and it's currently available Stateside as an import.
Rae is biracial, the daughter of a West Indian father and a Yorkshire mother, and her music is as diverse as her background. It bears a vaguely folksy edge, courtesy of the acoustic guitar she plays on several tracks. It also bears elements of jazz thanks to her complex phrasing and the world-weary timbre of her pipes. The end result could easily have lacked a consistent theme, but the production—heavy on the viscous bass—keeps things firmly in the land of modern, hip-swaying R&B.
Rae isn't as adventurous as some of her countrymen, so if you're looking for wildly experimental beats, a la Steve Spacek, look elsewhere. But she succeeds at crafting smart soul music that's both sensuous and refined. From the bleak "Enchantment" to the giddy "Call Me When You Get This," there's enough goodness here to satisfy the most sophisticated R&B connoisseur—at least until the next Sade album.
Each artist takes a different approach, but both Rae and Ne-Yo offer listeners great ways to kiss winter goodbye.
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