As happens with any successful genre of music, the imitators soon outnumber the pioneers and everyone starts to sound the same. The niche marked 'R&B diva' has been getting mighty crowded of late, numerous new Whitneys with technically perfect voices and big name producers delivering far from inspirational material. More songs, more originality, less polished grooves and less vocal gymnastics would be a start. Must try harder ladies.
Lina recently came up with a new twist on the somewhat predictable diva thang when she mixed crackly pre-war jazz in with her R&B rhythms. Likewise, Debelah Morgan showed promise with her recent single 'Dance With Me', which made it to the Top Ten with its blend of tango style cha cha grooviness and the usual slickly produced R&B sound.
Which makes its parent album - the Detroit born and raised Debelah's third - all the more disappointing. For 'Dance With Me', despite its exciting and different title track, is just another Whitney or Mariah album of very few surpises made by someone who wants to be another Whitney or Mariah.
Debelah does have a great voice. She sounds very much like Whitters and Brenda Russell, maybe with the odd Minnie Riperton squeak thrown in for good measure. And she has a fondness for taking her listener through gruelling aural assault courses. Much of the time it seems as if she would rather demonstrate her dexterity than sing the song. Take a leaf out of Aretha's book young lady. Less is indeed more.
Written and produced with her brother Giloh, 'Dance With Me' is too heavy on the mature, smaltzy ballads to keep you interested for long. That is unless you're involved in some pretty steamy candlelit sofa wrestling with the partner of your choice and need a little muzak-lite.
'Dance With Me' does have its moments though. 'Let's Get It On' is a slinky, low-slung slice of sexy funk, 'Take The Rain Away' is a reworking of Earth Wind & Fire and The Emotions' 'Best Of My Love' and ballad 'What Would You Do' sounds a tad like Lionel Richie's 'Hello'.
But there aren't enough surprises and there aren't enough gripping songs here. And by the time you get to the nauseating 'Jesus loves you' sentiment of penultimate track 'Alright' -"with Christ in your life he will make everything right.....he just wants to be your friend, his touch will ease your pain"- you will have resolved never to listen to this album again. Bit of a shame really.
