cletta1201's Full Review: The Diary of Alicia Keys [Limited] by Alicia Keys
It’s quite possible that Alicia Keys had the single most overrated album in R&B (or even music) history. Sure, she’s got more talent in her piano-playing pinkie than I have in my whole body – but let’s face it ”Songs In A Minor” wasn’t that great. And in a lot of ways, I feel almost shameful for saying that because that’s the inevitable backlash that follows someone who has a huge multi-platinum album and who won a truckload of Grammy’s – 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 Don’t Know My Name” will probably get twice as many rotations as “Fallin”. The 70’s soul track is the perfect capture of what the rest of Diary... is like, the songs are heavily layered and you’ve got to have a sharp ear to catch everything that’s 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 Don’t Know My Name”, but a closer look and you’ll hear the flirtatious tinkling of the ivories.
One of the things that is to be loved about Alicia Keys is that she let’s 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 didn’t know any better, you’d 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 70’s soul with a Notorious B.I.G. sample and you can’t begrudge someone who’s willing to take chances the way Keys can and does. Her voice seems to have grown, and she wasn’t a slouch before. It seems to have gotten richer and more beautiful. ”If I Ain’t Got You” sounds like church music and not some stuck up church music – but a church where the pastor wear’s 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, I’m sure that Alicia Keys could outsing most of the singers out there and even though I myself don’t mind that – it’s refreshing and nice to hear someone who has a beautiful voice and who knows how to use it. There’s a brooding sexuality that comes from Alicia Keys confidence in her musical abilities that you can’t help but feel and it makes for excellent listening.
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