Blu Cantrell : Releases >>

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So Blu >>

Blu Cantrell is tired. Tired of no-good, wrong-doin', sweet-talkin', always-cheatin', ever-schemin' men. Luckily for listeners, the Providence, Rhode Island native (discovered by Arista CEO Antonio "L.A." Reid) has decided to settle her scores in song. In the process, she delivers a gorgeously heartfelt soul album that manages to avoid no-scrubs, bills-bills-bills clichés, and get down to the business of broken-heart healing. Lacing scats into melismas and blues runs into R&B riffs, this torch-singing newcomer doesn't just take it to church with her debut: she takes it to the dimly lit juke joint, the crowded club, and the smoky underground cafe. Transitioning effortlessly from starry-eyed breathlessness to Eartha Kitt growl, to full-throttle, shiver-inducing wail, Cantrell incants catharsis with haunting ballads like "That One," in which she muses upon finding a soulmate, and "I'll Find a Way," on which she offers up a glorious, show-stopping vocal transition out of the song's bridge that would do Chaka Khan proud. Cantrell, the daughter of a jazz-singing mother, also manages to succeed with up-tempo numbers here--"Hit 'Em up Style (Oops)," the album's first single, is a jubilant revenge anthem, complete with an infectious, finger-wagging, Charleston riff that should have the ladies wiggling and their fellas checking themselves--and their wallets. --Sylvia W. Chan

Bittersweet [Limited Edition w/ Bonus DVD] >>

Despite living in a generation of R&B females overshadowed by the indomitable Mary J. Blige, Blu Cantrell can hang. Blessed not only with a strong voice, but a jazzy style that comes across more subtly on this, her sophomore effort, than on 2001's So Blu. Bittersweet finds her teamed at various points with a handful of hot producers, ubiquitous dancehall artist Sean Paul, and some predictable lyrics, but nonetheless showcases a supple vocalist with her own mind. At the same time, Cantrell recalls some of the best of her influences on the Stevie Wonder-like "No Place Like Home" and "Happily Ever After," which would've fit in on any number of Prince records. If Cantrell continues to get the attention she deserves, she may well prove to be an artist we'll be following for decades. --Rickey Wright

Bad Company >>

There's a distinct flavor of mystery and intrigue woven through the hip-hop and rap found on the Bad Company soundtrack. Tricky's charcoal-hued rasp intones menace over a kaleidoscope of piano, background vocals, and factory-like noises, while the Dub Pistols' song contains a melancholy guitar riff snaking through its moody textures, like the gloomier moments from Moby's Play filtered through street-weary lyrics. Gorillaz, D12, and ex-Specials' member Terry Hall creep and stomp in a haunted house of beats and samples, while trip-hopping of the sinister (Jahei featuring Duganz) and longingly crooning (Rama Duke) varieties continue the emotive atmospheres. Save for Next's classic slice of soul singing, songs that deviate from the ominous ambience fare worse--Pretty Willie's repetitive "Na Na" and Jagged Edge's watery remake of Air Supply's "All Out of Love" especially misstep, marring an otherwise excellent soundtrack. --Annie Zaleski

Blu Cantrell : Releases >>

So Blu >>

Bittersweet [Limited Edition w/ Bonus DVD] >>

Bad Company >>

Hit `em Up Style >>

Hit 'Em Up Style: Chart and Club Hits of Blu Cantrell >>

Bittersweet >>

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