Utter Bliss (Acoustic Soul...a Change Is Gonna Come - India.Arie)

Member Name: Cwej1

Product:	Acoustic Soul...a Change Is Gonna Come - India.Arie
Date:	16/11/01 (88 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Silky and warm vocals, Poetic lyrics, Generally uplifiting album

Disadvantages: Maybe a bit slow for some

This is one of those records that takes a very long time to hit you - but when it does, oh the bliss, it is just an amazing moment. India.Arie is quite simply a genius. Lyrically, vocally and spiritually she molds together an album, like none other I have ever heard before, for depth of feeling, right down to the intro and interludes!

The first 'lyric proper' we hear on the album is in her single 'Video' - 'sometimes I shave my legs, and sometimes I don't'. This is an amazing way to start the album! It wakes the listener up ready for the intelligent ramblings of India and works amazingly. 'Video' is a catchy soulful number, inspirational in its subject matter, subtle in its use of humour ('Don't need your silicon, I prefer my own, what God gave me is just fine', she proclaims proudly!)

The album moves on with the smooth and silky 'Promises' and the second single 'Brown Skin'. The imagery conjured up in the latter shows off India's incredible talent for poetic lyric writing - 'Apparently your skin has been kissed by the sun' she claims, in the romantic slow-groove of the track.

'Strength Courage And Wisdom' is a somewhat predictable song (but my friend likes it) - midtempo and rather lacking in tune it is one of the weaker tracks on the album, though the lyrics are up to their usual high standard... but then we are treated to India's capacity to sing about things more spiritual than just love in 'Nature', a tuneful and flowing track, telling us to appreciate the world for what it is and let 'nature run the show'... The strings flow, reflecting the flowing waves talked about in the song. Subtle and smooth.

The next two tracks are the utter standout tracks of the album in my opinion. 'Back To The Middle' is a storytelling song, split into three verses each telling a different tale, about people that are at extremes and won&
#39;t stick to the norm. A woman who overcomes shyness 'but now that she's been introduced to confidence, she doesn't see that she is bordering on arrogance' - 'When will she learn to come back to the middle?' asks India, solemnly. You can just see a wise old owl in a tree singing the words. ;)

The beautiful 'Ready For Love' that follows is perhaps the most haunting song I've heard in as long as I can remember. Led by piano, strings, guitar and vocals alone, India begs 'I am ready for love, why are you hiding from me? I'd quickly give my freedom to be held in your captivity'...'If you gave me half a chance I would prove this to you, I will be patient, kind, faithful and true, to a man who loves music, a man who loves art, respects the spirit world and thinks with his heart' she cries into a beautiful piano solo. India's voice is at it's best on this track. I know I'm going on about the track a lot, but it is truely amazing.

Moving on...

'Always In My Head' is not just an average love song about a man. It is about how music is always in India's head. Using great personification techniques she takes us into a musical world about music: 'I hear the sound of five drummers in the wind, leaves blowing in the breeze ring out like guitars, a tin can rolls across the gravel like a tambourine, I am but a vessel so I sing because you are in my head...' The song flows nicely and is one of the catchier numbers on the album. Possibly the third single? Who knows.

'I See God In You' is a short and average love song and is followed by 'Simple' - which is quite simply, a very simple song. I think that was the idea and if you don't read too much into it it's actually an OK song - just not particularly a standout track.

'Part Of My Life' is one of the more uptempo tracks, quite funky, which makes up for the fact that most o
f the album is very chilled out and down in tempo. The album proper ends with another slow one called 'Beautiful'. This is a weak ending in all honesty. Not a bad song, just not as good as some of the songs. However, it feels like an end of album song, so I guess it was placed there intentionally.

The final track on the album is a bonus track called 'Wonderful' and is a dedication to Stevie Wonder (yes pun IS intended!). He is quite simply a legend and India respects that (he has also been quoted as calling her a 'genius'). The track is uplifting and happy, full of hope for the future.

And that is exactly what this album gives me. Hope for the future. India.Arie is so intelligent in her music that it takes you time after the album has finished to realise exactly what she has managed to do. Well for me anyway, she managed to stir and move my soul in a way that no other artist has done in as long as I can remember. I write songs myself - and if I ever write a collection of songs that touches anyone as deeply as this does to me, I will die a happy man.

*UPDATE* Just wanted to add that this album has helped India.Arie receive 7 nominations at this years Grammies, the second highest number of nominations this year. :) Let's hope she wins a few. :)

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