| Product: |
Cassie - Cassie |
| Date: |
27/02/07 (316 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: See review
Disadvantages: See review
Cassie is quite a new name on the r n b scene as she only really became a recognised name in mid 2006. Her first single “Me and U” was released in 2005 but only really found fame in 2006 after the release of her second single “Long Way 2 Go.” Both singles reached the top 20 in the UK with her first one reaching number 6. Her debut album is entitled “Cassie” and was released back in August 2006. Her sound is typically r n b with a little hint of pop, she’s been compared in the past to artists such as Beyonce and Ciara although I’d say her sound is less upbeat than that typical of those two artists. Her sound is very smooth, distinctly r n b with her almost rapping certain parts of some songs – an ideal buy if you like artists such as Ashanti or Christina Milian also.
The first track on the album is “Me and U” which has a really catchy beat, ideally suited to any nightclub or any r n b lover. It’s quite slow to start off with an almost haunting melodic beat underneath the lyrics before quickening up slightly towards the chorus. It’s a great track to get you up and dancing and one you can’t help but sing along to as soon as you grasp the lyrics! The song itself is about how you fancy that one person and then finally get the bottle to make your move on them, “Baby I love you all the way down, get you right where you like it, I promise you’ll like it, just relax and let me make my move.” The next track up is another one that you’ll probably have heard as it was released as a single towards the end of 2006 “Long Way 2 Go.” It’s a bit quicker than the last track but has the same kind of sexy appeal about it, ideal for a night out of again if you’re a fan of your r n b. There’s a saucy and sleek sound to this track and the lyrics are just brilliant as it’s about how she’s an independent woman and anyone who wants to get with her has to do a lot to impress her, “You wanna step to me, said you got a long way to go, you claim that you’re so hot and you say you got skills in the bedroom… say you got a long way to go.”
After the first two tracks on the album being distinctly r n b club type tracks the album takes a sudden change with the third track “About Time.” It’s much more relaxed and would make ideal listening while at home or on the move and is one of my favourite songs on the album. With this song we see that she can actually sing as the previous two have been much more rap like, however in this one we hear an angelic and smooth voice coming through on the vocals. The song itself is about how it’s time to move on from a past lover, “Guess it’s about time that I’m finally moving on, I don’t really care if it’s right or wrong, and in spite of the way I love your touch, I know it’s going to be better for both of us.” A song that surely most people can identify with from some point in their lives. The next track up is “Kiss Me” which I believe is to be her first single in 2007, it’s quite soft like the previous track but in my opinion isn’t quite as good as the previous track. It’s quite catchy but almost a bit too soft and floaty, it’s not really that memorable either in my opinion which may go against its success in the charts. It is however really easy listening, nice and mellow, “One touch can bring us closer, don’t want this to be over, you know that you complete me, your love is what I need.” It also features Ryan Leslie on the lyrics and appears on the Save the Last Dance 2 soundtrack.
There’s a change again in the feel of the album with a more upbeat track coming next “Call U Out.” This probably sounds the most like a Beyonce track off the whole album with some upbeat and fast lyrics that are undeniably catchy and full of girl power images, “Did you really think that you would keep a secret from me, when I know you like the back of my hand come on now, I can tell when you’re on the low trying to hide something.” It’s not quite a club suited song although I imagine there will be some sort of remix brought out in the future. As for whether I like it or not then I’d have to say I do, ideal for getting you in the mood for going out or just boosting your mood slightly. “Just One Nite” is next up on the album and has a calmer, sexy feel to it. It’s quite mellow despite having a sexy feel to it in a sense, mainly due to the content which is about how she misses a previous lover and wants to spend a night with them, “Just one night to be with you again cos I miss the way, that it felt when we made love.” This is another good track on the album, and one that I can listen to time and time again without tiring of it. Track number 7 is entitled “Hope You’re Behaving Interlude” which is just 37 seconds long and quite odd. It basically consists of a ring tone, an answer phone message and then Cassie leaving a message to check up on her boyfriend – not sure why it’s here!
Thankfully track 8 reverts back to an actual song entitled “Not With You.” This is another of my favourites on the album as it’s really catchy with some fast lyrics despite the general feel of the track being quite mellow and relaxed. It’s got quite a naïve feel to it which reminds me of something that we’d expect from Ashanti or JoJo perhaps. Her voice is kept at quite a constant level throughout this track and I can’t help but feel it could have been shown off to a better level. The track itself has some great meanings behind it as it’s about how she needs to be able to trust her boyfriend when she’s not with him, a lesson that most of us can empathise with, “I hope you’re not disrespecting me, I’m hoping I’m everything you need, and that all you wish for you’ll find in me.” The next track is strangely titled “Ditto” and I actually really like it despite it being slightly peculiar! I think some people could find this track quite annoying but it’s another of my favourites on the album and is a mix of softly sung lyrics and firmer verses. Another good track here from Cassie with some catchy lyrics, “He said he had fallen so in love with me, and I said ditto ditto ditto, he told me I’m the only one that he could see, and I said ditto ditto ditto.”
“What Do U Want” is the next track on the album and is probably the only track I’m not overly keen on from the whole album. It’s got an odd sound to it, there’s a certain Gwen Stefani outspoken feel to it mixed with some ethnic sounding beats and an almost girl group type chorus. The only word I can really use to describe this song is odd, it’s not that I don’t like it it’s more that I just can’t quite decide what to make of it. There is a feel of Gwen Stefani to this track which sort of makes it stand out in a weird way, yet at the same time it doesn’t really fit in with the rest of the album. As for the lyrics well the title really gives away the gist of the track, “I’ve got a crew in every single nation, you didn’t know when you started altercation, boy you caused me too much aggravation.” The next track “Miss Your Touch” is the second shortest on the album at only just over 2 minutes long which is a shame as it’s a catchy, fairly upbeat song. There’s a slight 80s feel to this track from the backing music which gives quite a hypnotic feel to the song as a whole, one thing I would say is that the backing music doesn’t really suit her voice as such in this instance with it being quite funky 80s sounding. The lyrics are again quite explanatory from the title alone, it’s basically how she’s missing her boyfriend at night when he goes out, “Said I know you got your working situation, but if you want me you’ll make some time for us, I know it’s hard for you.”
The penultimate song is much calmer and slower than any of the other tracks and is probably the most ballad sounding track, “When Your Body is Talking.” There’s quite a sensual feel to this track from Cassie’s smooth vocals and the relaxing backing music as well. It’s also the most love song sounding track on the album, although the others do contain lyrics that fit well with the love genre, this is the only song that sounds truly like a love track. However it’s not your typical emotive love track but a much more sexy take on it, “Oh I can’t get enough, caught up in the moment, temperature is going up, do you know what you’re doing to me.” The final track is “Can’t Do It Without You” and is quite a good one to end with, it’s quite dark sounding at the opening which suits her silky voiced lyrics to create quite a contrast. It’s not one of my favourite tracks on the album but nor is it a particularly poor track as you find by the end of the album with other artists. It’s quite honest sounding and is perhaps positioned last on the album to have a lasting impact, “I can’t do it without you babe, don’t ever leave, cos it’s all sweet, how you love me this way, I can’t do it without you babe.”
And so here is yet another model turned singer as seems to be the growing trend among models and actors, strangely enough it would seem that Cassie can pull it off quite easily. Despite her singles not finding overt success in the music charts in the UK it seems her album made more of an impact and certainly her music career is by far from over at this point in time. The vocals themselves probably aren’t as strong as other artists and nor can I see her winning many awards for them but the lyrics themselves and the backing tunes are unavoidably addictive. The majority of songs will have you attempting to sing along after only a couple of plays and even taping your feet along with the catchy beats. Her range arguably isn’t as good as other artists but these days it seems you only really need to be able to hold a basic tune to succeed and Cassie can indeed do more than that. I’d recommend this album to anyone who really likes their female r n b music – Ashanti, Beyonce, Christina Milian – it’s certainly worth a listen and I think you might just be pleasantly surprised! I’m giving it 4 stars out of 5, it’s become a firm favourite in my play list and will surely remain there for a long time to come, there are one of two weak tracks but less so than on most albums I come across.
www.amazon.co.uk £8.99
www.play.com £11.99
www.hmv.co.uk £8.99
Thanks for reading!
Summary: The first album from r n b artist Cassie.
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