The Main Idea
Shanice Wilson has supplied background vocals for everyone and their mamas, including Usher, Mary J. Blige, and Toni Braxton. She's also had a few minor hit albums, including her self-titled 1999 LaFace debut. Shanice is soft and smooth with just the right amount of groove to it and compliments the 26-year-old's voice excellently. At times, Shanice soars and, at just as many times, she coos, and that's what makes this record so special. It shows the full extent of her range. Though there's nothing about Shanice that is absolutely to die for, since it is rather formulaic and predictable, it's a nice album to have, since it tones down all of the glitz and glamor and is actually fairly simple for an R&B record.

The album's opener, You Need A Man, is produced by Montell Jordan and is actually rather "so what?". It's a smooth, mid-tempo jam with easygoing vocals, but nothing about it really stands out. Plus, the lyrical concept is hardly original. Still, it's a good song for the softer side of Shanice's voice. When I Close My Eyes is a dramatic, mid-tempo ballad with a catchy hook - "When I close my eyes I break down and cry/It's somethin' 'bout the way you love me/The thought of your kiss, my heart can't resist/It's all about the way you love me" - and keyboards galore. It's a very romantic song that's also a little cheesy, but cheesy in a good way. Shanice sounds sweet and soulful as well. One of my personal favorites on this record is Yesterday, which starts off slow and balladesque, then launches into a grooving, Janet-ish hook. The background vocals are excellent, and Shanice pulls off the entire song superbly; she sounds rather innocent and vulnerable.

Wanna Hear You Say is just your typical R&B song with an upbeat chorus and strings sprinkled throughout. It's not a bad song, but I didn't come away remembering it. The background vocals on the hook were layered on a bit too heavily, but the lyrics are nice and it could have been a lot worse had it been sung by someone else. Fly Away is a great, sweeping song with a simple, catchy hook. Co-produced by Babyface, the song makes good use of the crapload of guitars and drums here, but the real focus of the song is Shanice's amazing delivery. She's soft and breathy on the chorus, but then, towards the end of the four-and-a-half minute cut, she hits quite a few expert high notes, which is immediately what makes this ballad special. Dallas Austin is one of my favorite producers and he doesn't fail to deliver on the edgy Don't Fight It. The song isn't as smooth and classy as most of this record, and that's why I like it. Shanice takes on a little more attitude on this hip-hop-tinged tune and pulls the transition off flawlessly. It's got a stuttering, danceable beat and is definitely one of the album's best offerings.

I get even more Janet vibes from the beginning of Ain't Got No Remedy. Shanice starts out rather whispery and romantic, but, by the end of the song, she hits some more of those key high notes. The song itself is a sweet, lilting ballad with elegant piano and minimum production, allowing for Shanice's vocals to really shine. Doin' My Thang is exactly the type of song she should stay away from, however: it's a bland, overproduced number with a boring lyrical concept that works for Destiny's Child, but not for her. Her voice is just too classy and professional to pull off a song as stupid as this one; it's not terrible, but it just doesn't work for her. But she quickly recovers with Fall For You, yet another Babyface-penned jam. The strings and choir give this one more of a dramatic, heartfelt vibe, almost gospel, but it's not overpowering and gets the song's romantic message across. Shanice is as sweet as ever; her voice is really so pure and angelic, it's almost tearjerking. I'm a big fan of this song, simply because it's the perfect example of the right song for the right artist.

Shanice takes yet another stab at hip-hop with You Can Bounce. I absolutely despise the Master P-ish "Uuuuhhh!"'s in the beginning of the song and the hook is poorly written - "You can have the house/Here's the key, you can have the car/I don't need you anymore/Take the diamonds and the furs/Not another word/I ain't coming back no more" - but it could be worse. I like the jumpy production most of all; it kind of reminds me of Timbaland or maybe Jazze Pha, and the acoustic guitar emphasizes that. The last two tracks are much better, though. Somebody Else finds Shanice singing with some real heartbreak over some lonely-sounding guitars and piano. The hook is smooth and the vocals are layered excellently; this mid-tempo tune is easily one of the album's best. I don't like A Reason as much, since it sounds more or less like an attempt to clone the previous track, but it's still nice. The background vocals are layered a bit heavily, but the piano and grooving production make up for that. Still, this cut doesn't particularly impress me.

Final Thoughts
Though I'm not familiar with Shanice's work before this album, I can tell that a lot of training has gone into her voice, which is the focal point of Shanice. She doesn't yell like Celine or warble like Whitney; she just sings, and it sounds beautiful. In all honesty, I'm not impressed with the material on Shanice. Had this record been sung by a different artist, it would have sucked. But the thing about this album is that most of the songs are perfectly suited to Shanice's calm, simple style; all of the production and instrumentals are kept to a bare minimum. And that's what I love about Shanice. Sometimes I just wanna hear a girl sing and sing only, without all of the runs and ad-libs and without all of the bells and whistles getting in the way. This album is pure and sweet, setting it apart from most of the other R&B efforts out there.

Key Tracks: "Yesterday," "Fly Away," "Ain't Got No Remedy," and "Don't Fight It"

Great Music To Play While: Overdosing on Crest White Strips while attempting to make your smile as dazzlingly white as Shanice's, having a name that looks like a funky version of Janice but is actually pronounced Sha-neece, being a part of the idiocy that was known as "Kids Incorporated," becoming a background vocals wh*re, and defying your one-hit wonder status by releasing a series of unsuccessful albums anyway.

Other Albums By This Artist: Discovery, Inner Child, 21... Ways To Grow, Ultimate Collection: The Best Of Shanice

Recommended: Yes