Yahoo! Music Album Review

Released on 05/10/09
Label: Mercury

Poor Mariah. People always seem to expect the worst of her. Rumours that 12th album, "Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel", might be more "Glitter" than "Music Box" have abounded following its release being twice delayed, with reports that mixed reactions to first single "Obsessed" had prompted an emergency rework. The question on most lips it seems is "just how bad is it?"

Actually, it's not bad at all. Fun as it would be to hail it the mother of all misfires, and arguably the album itself would be a lot more entertaining were it a disaster of "Glitter" proportions, the fact is, it's probably the safest album she's released in a decade.

If "Obsessed" did cause a rethink, it must have been a drastic one as the single's auto-tuned crunk is the only time Carey indulges her obsession with chasing current R&B trends. For the rest of the album, which she co-wrote and produced with Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, the duo behind Rihanna's "Umbrella", the focus is on sentimental simpering, bittersweet slow jams, tears, heartbreak and five octaves of love.

At its MOR worst there's a miserable cover of Foreigner's "I Want To Know What Love Is", a horrifically schmaltzy song made all the more vapid by a lot of breathless quivering and a gospel choir who don't sound like they're trying. Elsewhere though, Stewart and The-Dream's taste for simplicity pushes melody to the fore, forcing slow-rolling confessional "Inseparable", stripped-down strut "More Than Just Friends" and satiny-sway "H.A.T.E.U." to be all about Mariah and a quietly endearing chorus.

That Stewart and The-Dream steered the whole project, eliminating the chaos of producers Carey usually crowds records with, means there's also a refreshing cohesion and consistency to the album. On the downside, so consistent is the affection, it tends to blur into a cosy stupor which even the bonus slew of "Obsessed" remixes can't shake, and when something does jump out of the haze it's usually how much like Rihanna they've made her sound.

A return to core principles, which has produced a handful of pretty love songs and a solid overall, "Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel" certainly isn't the disaster we were promised, but then nor is it a triumph. It is too safe for that. It's close though. A couple of big singles, upbeat joyous pop of the kind that she used to do better than anyone, and this really could have been a proper return to form.

    by Dan Gennoe