INDIA.ARIE
Acoustic Soul
Motown
· Debut album for this 25-year-old Atlanta-based R&B artist.
The coveted legacy of Motown’s classic performers (Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Temptations, et al.) set the artistic bar so high that the label, with its current roster of mostly banal artists, has pretty much resorted to releasing greatest hits packages and re-releasing desert island picks to keep its visibility (much less credibility) afloat.
Signing India.Arie to Motown may indicate that the record label isn’t about to transform into another Polytel. With a smoky, bluesy voice that transcends her youth, she will garner heady comparisons to Lauryn Hill, and for very good reason. She writes and produces her own material just like L-Boogie, and plays more instruments than anybody this side of D’Angelo. In other words, Motown should be a perfect label for her if the label’s past artists are any indication.
Like Hill’s Miseducation, Acoustic Soul blends together a multitude of genres, from gospel and quiet storm all the way to funk and hip-hop, and its lyrics of life affirmation and positivity never come off as cheesy or pretentious. Her single, "Video," is a great representation of her talent, and the same can be said of a handful of other tracks on the fine album. This girl’s definitely got her groove on.
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