I was finally able to sit down and give a good listen two days later and must say I enjoyed what I was hearing. Her latest album, “Take Me Away” is a mature offering not littered with guest appearances from rappers half her age nor did she create an alter ego in an effort to relate to a younger audience. Instead, she put together a long player rooted in classic Soul and R&B, just what I needed. Vocally she was dead on throughout the album, her voice has preserved well throughout the years and was the perfect instrument to interpret these lyrics.
Yes, this is definitely grown folks music, a female voice for those folks that have fallen in love with Adult Contemporary star Kem. The updated versions of “Don’t Ask My Neighbor”, “Can You Stop the Rain”, “Dr. Feelgood”, and “Joy and Pain” are well-placed, because they speak directly to the demographic and she does them justice because she’s from the period and recognizes the greatness of the songs, which I believe is the key to the album. She’s not trying to update her sound to fit twenty and thirty-somethings, she’s just making good, classic R&B for those who come from a period when the music was organic.
A female voice that’s true to the Adult Contemporary demographic seems to be missing, however, with songs like “Each Day Gets Better”, “It’s so Wrong” and “You Keep Trippin”, she fills that void. “Thank God for You” is a duet with her daughter Nina is reminiscent of the work Eddie and Gerald Levert did together; a beautiful song that reaches the core of a mother/daughter relationship. Do yourself a favor next time you’re at Happy Hour and there’s one of those internet jukeboxes in the building, add an extra dollar and search for a song off Rena Scott’s “Take Me Away” then watch the bar find a groove.
Originally posted at Eurweb with link to album.
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