You get what you see.
Alicia Keys
As I Am
(Sony BMG)
By Lennat Mak
Choice Cut : ''Where Do We Go From Here.'' ''Go Ahead,'' ''No One,'' ''Like You'll Never See Me Again''
Like some say, third's a charm. Two years after her last album, The Diary Of Alicia Keys, and a trying period of rollercoaster emotional problems, Alicia Keys returns with As I Am, her third and probably her best album to date.
And here's something to think about. How does one inject even more soul and heart into the whole neo-soul/R&B genre? Inspired by her newfound sense of self-empowerment, Alicia is not afraid to channel her innermost feelings into her songs and just belt it out like it is. On As I Am, there's this vibe of moving sincerity that no modern recording technology can mask. Whether it's the ballads ("Like You'll Never See Me Again," "Lesson Learnt," "The Thing About Love"), vintage soul pieces ("Where Do We Go From Here," "Go Ahead"), or the funky delights like "Teenage Love Affair," they all ooze of this old soul purity that only a consummate performer like Alicia can deliver.
That being said, with Alicia's caliber, nothing much can go seriously south. And for some artists, time's a ticking bomb but for our soul sister? She's one of the rare few who would only get even better through the passage of time.
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