Kim Burrell - The Love Album

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Thread started 09/07/11 2:00pm

theAudience

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Kim Burrell - The Love Album

[img:$uid]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b59/jbodine/Covers%20II/kim-burrell-the-love-album-thumb-473xauto-8350.jpg[/img:$uid]

Obviously meant to bridge the gap between secular/religious audiences.

...Sweeter

The above video (which is the tune picked as the first single) coupled with her recent weight loss, has resulted in a minor uproar on YouTube from a number of religious zealots. According to them, this indicates she's jumping ship and going full bore for the secular market.

Of the album's 10 tunes, if I remember correctly, 2 are absent of any religious references.
(Let's Make It To Love & A Lil' More Time)

Maybe to quiet the naysayers, she adds very brief mini-sermons in the intros of the Pop covers.
(Love's Holiday & Love Me In A Special Way)

Now with that all out of the way, Kim Burrell's voice is simply heavenly.
For those unfamiliar, imagine the best elements of Ella Fitzgerald/Sarah Vaughn/Chaka Khan combined in one person.
She is so pitch-perfect and has Jazz-like scalic knowledge, that at times the things she does with her voice sounds like something only a synthesizer would do.

...A Lil' More Time & Is This The Way Love Goes

A few tune takes...

Open Up The Door:
You figure she possibly aiming this one at the Country crowd with its acoustic and slide guitars in the intro.
However the tune ends up with the closest you'll get to any fire & brimstone vocalizing on the whole album.

Is This The Way Love Goes:
My favorite song on the album.
A stellar vocal performance on a song written by Kim done in a Jazz ballad "torch song" vibe.
The beautiful piece (which is Kim's voice accompanied only by a solo acoustic piano) is ruined by the production decision to include a scratchy record sound effect throughout the tune.
You get that they're going for a throwback vibe without this "noise". disbelief

A Lil' More Time:
If it were up to me, this would be the second single.
Excellent R&B/Pop track with a great bridge.

Jesus is a Love Song:
Superb take on this Twinkie Clark penned song.

Overall an enjoyable album.
The only other complaint I have is another production decision to use a cross-stick/side-stick sound that is much too present on Pray For Love.

It's a another song using a Jazz approach where a set of brushes would have been a better choice imo.
I get the impression the Ms. Burrell is keeping tight reins on her vocal prowess.
But then again, restraint is something true professionals know when to employ.

Music for adventurous listeners

tA

peace Tribal Records

"Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all."

- E-mail - orgNote -

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Reply #1 posted 09/08/11 9:08am