Alicia Keys - As I Am
GRADE: B
Alicia Keys deserves to (one day) be mentioned in the same breath as soul icons like Roberta Flack, Minnie Riperton and Aretha Franklin. Not only for having a stellar and unique voice, but also for creating music with the kind of passion that sends chills through every inch of a listener’s body. As I Am is not, however, the album to solidify her place in the record books.
Alicia Key’s vocal choices and simple lyrics have always proved to be some of her greatest strengths, but on As I Am their novelty feels strangely trite and sometimes goofy. On “Superwoman” she awkwardly croons “When I’m breaking down/And I can’t be found/…’Cause no one knows/Me underneath these clothes/But I can fly/We can fly.”
Make no mistake, the strength of stirring ballads like “No One” and “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” do give the album enough soulful swagger to make the disc ultimately appealing. In fact, her new pop edge works very well on the refreshingly retro “Teenage Love Affair.” Unfortunately, the rest of Keys’ more pop-tainted attempts (like “Sure Looks Good to Me”) manage to two-step their way into predictable and clichéd territory.
Most of As I Am will probably be lost and forgotten in the impressive body of work that Ms. Keys will one day have. However, the album is not to be ignored. It’s experimental nature is refreshing, but ultimately only highlights how flawed the project is.
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Tuesday, November 13th, 2007 at 5:58 pm under
