India.Arie - Acoustic Soul
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CD Details
Artist: India.ArieBrand: Acoustic
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2001-03-27
Music Label: Motown
Soundtracks:
- Intro :50
- Video 4:09
- Promises 4:37
- Brown skin 4:56
- Strength, courage, & wisdom 4:57
- Nature 4:24
- Back to the middle 5:11
- Ready for love 4:28
- Interlude 1:24
- Always in my head 4:40
- I see God in you 3:17
- Simple 3:26
- Part of my life 4:03
- Beautiful 4:06
- Outro 1:17
- Wonderful (Steve Wonder dedication) 5:30 *
Music reviews of Acoustic Soul
Music Review: Wonderful Debut From A Talented Artist
Rating: 4 Stars
India Arie Simpson made her debut in March of 2001, around the same time as Alicia Keys made her debut. At the Grammies that year, fans of India Arie were stunned when, despite her seven nominations for her debut "Acoustic Soul", India Arie did not receive a single Grammy and many of her fans dislike Alicia Keys for "robbing" India of her Grammies. India Arie was twenty-five at the time of this debut and she, as far as I know, either wrote or co-wrote every song on this album. As well, I believe India Arie herself played the acoustic guitar in many (or all) of the songs. Though her lyrics are somewhat simple, they have a generally elegant kind of simplicity as well. On her debut, India seems to be introducing the listener both to herself and her style and she pulls it off quite well.
The album starts off with a short "Intro" in which India lists some of the artists who inspired her. It is quite short and not memorable. The first song on the album is India Arie's single "Video" in which she asserts that she's "not the average girl from the video." In this song, India seems to be giving the listener a little insight as to what she's like as a person as well as giving us a taste of her lyrical and vocal style. The vocals in the bridge of the song are especially great (the part that begins "am I any less of me if I don't wear pantyhose?"). Though this is different from most singles in 2001, it is a wonderful song and a great introduction to India Arie. Afterwards comes "Promises", one of the catchiest songs on the album. To me, this is one of the best songs on the album. In this song, India gives the messages that "a man's only as good as his word" and basically, to keep your promises and you will be rewarded.
Next comes two decent songs, "Brown Skin" and "Strength, Courage and Wisdom". By decent I mean that they are still good but not quite up to the same level as other songs. "Brown Skin" is a touching song about how India Arie loves her man's brown skin. The only downside is the song is quite long and the lyrics are somewhat repetitive making it seem even longer. "Strength, Courage and Wisdom" is a little more upbeat and talks about finding these three qualities inside you. It is a decent enough song but is not quite as good as other songs on the album. After comes the slightly more interesting "Nature" with its captivating chorus and vocal style. This song showcases India's vocals quite well even though the lyrics contain a lot of similes and are not the best. Overall, it is a good song.
Next come three of my favourite songs on the album, "Back To The Middle", "Ready For Love" and "Always In My Head", though they are interrupted by an interlude. "Back To The Middle" has great vocals and the lyrics seem to be a little bit autobiographical. The music in this track, like with all the tracks on the album now that I think of it, fits with the vocals and lyrics very well. It is not exactly clear what "back to the middle" means but that does not take away from the quality of the song. In "Ready For Love", India states that she is ready for all the pain, joy and time involved in love. The song is a calm ballad that grows increasingly more powerful as it goes on and shows off the sandiness of India's voice. To me, it is a definite highlight. After that comes a short interlude which is mostly a continuation of the intro. In other words, its nothing too memorable. "Always In My Head", like several India Arie songs, contains a lot of metaphors but this time is works well. The music in this song it awesome as well.
Next comes "I See God In You", which could have been extremely cheesy or wonderful. Thankfully, it is closer to the latter. The song mostly repeats the chorus with only two real verses, but India's voice and the catchiness of the song save it from being too cheesy. Afterwards come another three decent tracks, "Simple", "Part of My Life" and "Beautiful". "Simple" has a catchy beat to it but suffers from average lyrics. The vocals in the chorus sound great though I think there's a little too much of the background singers in the chorus. However, it does sound pretty good. "Part of My Life" is decent but not nearly as good as some of the other tracks on the album. It suffers from subpar to average lyrics that do not do India Arie's talents much justice. "Beautiful" truly lives up to its name, particularly in the chorus. However, while "Beautiful" is good, it is not quite as good as other songs on the album. Finally, we come to the Outro and the bonus track, "Wonderful" which is a dedication to Stevie Wonder. The Outro is basically a "thank you" song to India's family. "Wonderful" is somewhat cheesy but is still a nice dedication to Stevie Wonder. Despite its good lyrics and great vocals, the song just seems to be lacking something.
Overall Mark: 4/5
Overall, India Arie comes out with a wonderful RnB/Soul debut album that touches on many topics that are not generally talked about in modern music. Despite the quality of the album, I do not think it would be one that many people will remember several years down the road simply because now, three years after this albums release, very few people even remember India Arie as more than "the one who sang Video". This is really a shame since India Arie is an undeniably talented artist. Unfortunately, her sophomore album wasn't nearly at the same level as her debut. This album is great to add to any collection.
Description of Acoustic Soul
Excellent ConditionIndia Arie's Acoustic Soul is just as advertised: grooving soul music with an acoustic bent. Arie herself plays guitar, supplemented by strings (instead of synthesizers) and drums (instead of drum machines). The first single, "Video," is a calm, confident ode to self-love, comparing the dreadlocked, petite Arie to the average girl in a video. Arie is indeed anything but average: her debut marks the auspicious return of the black female singer-songwriter, in the vein of Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Tracy Chapman, and Dionne Farris. If you like their music, with thoughtful lyrics and layers of instrumentation, you'll love this album. "Video" is fabulous, but other high points include "Ready for Love," a lament that smolders before slowly building to a crescendo, with tinkling piano, guitar, and cello swelling beneath the vocal. "Strength, Courage, and Wisdom" is an optimistic anthem that'll have you clapping your hands and swaying from side to side, and the best track on the album, "Simple," is a straightforward love song with a pulsating beat. Acoustic Soul may not be full of radio-friendly tracks, but every track is strong, and the disc improves each time you press play. --Courtney Kemp
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