The continuity is quite surprising, especially when you consider that almost each of the 12 tracks on the album is produced by someone different.Ī sore point on this record is that there’s no vocal, lyrical or production powerhouse to set it apart from everything else that’s out there. ![]() I have to give props to any R&B album that doesn’t resort to lazy sampling or showcases for the guest rapper(s) of the moment. One thing I can say in its favor is that the record has great stylistic continuity, with predominately mid-tempos and ballads offset by the occasional island-flavored track designed to show off Headley’s “roots”. In My Mind is essentially a carbon copy of Headley’s 2002 debut This Is Who I Am, a solid effort that earned her near-platinum sales and a Best New Artist Grammy nomination. You have to give her sophomore album, In My Mind, repeated spins before really being able to distinguish any of the songs from one another. The first couple of times I listened to this album, it came across as one big hour-long blur. Much as he has done with soul divas ranging from Angela Bofill and Phyllis Hyman to Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston, RCA label head Clive Davis gives Heather a bunch of tracks that, while well performed, are a bit sappy and unexciting. …Or syrup, which unfortunately can also be used to describe much of her music. If you could compare her thick voice to anything, it would be molasses… ![]() Of course, having a voice like that (as well as her regal presence, typical of West Indian women like the Trinidad-born Headley) means she won’t be wearing a tank top and daisy dukes and dropping it like it’s hot in the manner of Beyonce. It’s a towering, supple instrument that’s mature beyond her 20-something years. The former star of Broadway’s Aida is definitely in full command of her voice. She’s only as good as her material lets her be. ![]() The problem that plagues Heather Headley is the same problem that has plagued many an R&B singer over time.
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