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Reviews
Brandy
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Released: 8th December 2008.
Brandy has been through a lot... fake marriage, car accident, mental collapse all happening simultaneously with multi-platinum albums, two television sitcoms, being judge on America's Got Talent and cinema movies, like "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer". However, most of the British public definitely don�t know what Brandy did last summer as since 2004 there�s been no new material.
Now she�s back and delivering a charming, soulful, refreshing LP with 15 songs (20 on the iTunes Deluxe Edition) full of emotion. The spoken intro definition of a human is quite nice. However, I'd have preferred a musical intro. The first proper song, �The Definition�, contains a really catchy beat, true lyrics and a wonderful voice. �Warm It Up (With Love)� is also catchy and shines with its pleasant charm. However, the ultimate track must be the lead single �Right Here (Departed)� - bombastic production, brilliant vocals and a wonderful message. She sounds almost heavenly on this track. Another favourite of mine is �Piano One� This dance/club song is convincing with a raspy Brandy voice and catchy lyrics.
The �Long Distance Interlude� is very nice. Brandy calls her fictive boyfriend to initiate the wonderful ballad of the same name. It's easy to identify with the sultry ballad, which deals with long distance relationships. �Camouflage� is probably the best piece lyrically and is sung with an excellent voice. The next track �Torn Down� seems to be an "Urban Country" song. It is very relaxing and obviously one of Brandy's favourites (the only non-single to be part of the "Human World Tour"-set list). The title track �Human� is a little weak, considering her previous title tracks, but still a very nice song. �Shattered Heart� is a very unique track. A mixture of electro, house, pop, soul and R&B, the beat and the background vocals are majestic and creepy. This song is a real earworm and always remains "fresh". The next song is probably my favourite �slow jam� from the album: �True�, a simple heartache-ballad produced by the current super-producer RedOne (Lady Gaga, Akon, Sean Kingston, and Enrique Iglesias) and sounds really well done. �A Cappella (Something�s Missing) �, like the title says, is a cappella chanted and an amusing song, dealing with her being in "a dark room in a bad position" and her "lookin' for the light to restore (her) vision" and so on... �1st and Love�, a rock pop song with R&B influences is very bubbly, airy, and fluffy. The melody is easy to remember and it is danceable and listenable. However, the grand finale is �Fall� is an extraordinarily good production with the best of what Brandy's voice ever had to offer. This power-ballad is a true pleasure to hear. It was written by Brandy and fellow singer Natasha Bedingfield. Beside these fifteen masterpieces you can find a bunch of cool bonus-material on the iTunes edition, like rap track �Gonna Finding My Love� with Brandy�s MC debut, the lovely �Locket (Locked in Love)� and various club remixes of �Right Here (Departed)�, with one featuring reggae star Sean Kingston. Even if it is not the old cheeky, adventurous, sassy, edgy Brandy any more, it's a brand new, smooth, mature, soulful, emotional and sexy singer with a celestial voice. The album is definitely perfectly suitable for every music lover � not only those who like pop, soul or R&B. "You should be RIGHT HERE with her"
