cletta1201's Full Review: The Diary of Alicia Keys [Limited] by Alicia Keys
Its quite possible that Alicia Keys had the single most overrated album in R&B (or even music) history. Sure, shes got more talent in her piano-playing pinkie than I have in my whole body but lets face it Songs In A Minor wasnt that great. And in a lot of ways, I feel almost shameful for saying that because thats the inevitable backlash that follows someone who has a huge multi-platinum album and who won a truckload of Grammys but the truth always hurts. Or mostly, it does because the truth of the situation now is that The Diary Of Alicia Keys is nothing short of brilliant.
Everyone in the free world has probably heard Fallin, the song that introduced Alicia Keys to the world and someone within her camp has a great sense of choosing lead singles because You Dont Know My Name will probably get twice as many rotations as Fallin. The 70s soul track is the perfect capture of what the rest of Diary... is like, the songs are heavily layered and youve got to have a sharp ear to catch everything thats going on, but when you do you have to be impressed at the virtuoso that is Alicia Keys. At first listen, you might not even pick up the piano on You Dont Know My Name, but a closer look and youll hear the flirtatious tinkling of the ivories.
One of the things that is to be loved about Alicia Keys is that she lets her influences shine through in her work. From the myriad of music samples that pepper the album to the inspiring use of violin on Karma, which in one moment switches from heavy hitting to showing shades of trip-hop. Heartburn is a bad mutha (shut yo mouth). Much of Diary has shades of Keys New York upbringing and if you didnt know any better, youd think she was an old soul who grew up in the age of Donny Hathaway and the like.
If I Was Your Woman (Walk On By) has moments where Keys reminds me of Lauryn Hill circa 1998. Keys is bold enough to mix that 70s soul with a Notorious B.I.G. sample and you cant begrudge someone whos willing to take chances the way Keys can and does. Her voice seems to have grown, and she wasnt a slouch before. It seems to have gotten richer and more beautiful. If I Aint Got You sounds like church music and not some stuck up church music but a church where the pastor wears purple suits and gators and is unbelievably lovely.
Wake Up is sweet and feels like it should only be on vinyl and even though there are a lot of vintage elements to Diary , Alicia Keys has created an album that while paying homage to the musicians that came before her and who she looks to for inspiration still sounds completely fresh and new. So Simple reminds me of something that Björk might do if she were an R&B singer and while initially that might sound odd, this is one of the best tracks on the album.
How bold is Alicia Keys? Bold enough to incorporate elements of Fallin into a new song entitled When You Really Love Someone, and it sounds damn good not good enough to make me want to listen to Fallin another time in my natural life, but still good. Slow Down is quiet storm fare that begs you to wrap up tight with a lover and the album comes to a warm syrupy close on Nobody Not Really which has shades of Sade
- Final Thoughts -
Without even trying, Im sure that Alicia Keys could outsing most of the singers out there and even though I myself dont mind that its refreshing and nice to hear someone who has a beautiful voice and who knows how to use it. Theres a brooding sexuality that comes from Alicia Keys confidence in her musical abilities that you cant help but feel and it makes for excellent listening.
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