365 – New Music Daily

One of the few staples of the 90’s neo-soul/R&B (a genre that I love) that I had yet to fully check out was Jill Scott – and she did come through with this album albeit with a few issues along the way. The core of this album is exactly what you would expect from this genre – it’s smooth 90’s R&B.

Vocally, Jill Scott has some Erykah, some Norah Jones, some Amy Winehouse. The vocal performances range from smoother, gentle deliveries to some of the belting, soul vocals that you would more expect to hear from the genre. These can be blended in-track, like one of my favorites in It’s Love.

This album is nice, though I would rather go Erykah, D’Angelo, Maxwell, etc. if I’m going this direction. One of my major gripes is not only the Common flow on Love Rain and Exclusively – although if that was the only transgression I would still be upset because I have grown to see Common as nothing more than someone who says “With AI, we can envision a better tomorrow” or freestyles at the NBA all star game making absurdly bad rhymes with shit like Antetekounmpo.

Anyways, not only is there the Common flow, but there’s the simple fact that there is a remix of Love Rain at the end of the album that is fucking fantastic. So not only are you adding two versions of the same song on the album (this one is not as bad as Baby Keem or Haitus Kaiyote examples that have been cited on this blog), but you’re putting the Common flow one in the middle of it and sticking one of the best songs at the end. God the Common flow stinks.

This album definitely has it’s high points, and it’s low points are the Common flows, but there is mediocrity throughout a good amount of this album. I do think that this album is a nice 90’s R&B album, however when your music sounds so much like Erykah’s, it’s pretty hard to not compare, and this album definitely pales in comparison, though with some really good songs.

Favorite songs: Gettin’ In The Way, A Long Walk, He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat), It’s Love, The Way, Brotha, Show Me, Try, Love Rain – Head Nod Mix