Smooth, relaxed, most certainly Irresistible. (Charmbracelet - Mariah Carey)

Member Name: CaffienatedYak

Product:	Charmbracelet - Mariah Carey
Date:	25/07/03 (130 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Relaxed, mid-tempo hits., Guest rappers actually do WELL on their parts., Clown is hilarious.

Disadvantages: Irresistible doesn't live up to its name., J.D. can't shut up.

After the musical train-wreck that was 2001?s Glitter, I was a bit wary of what to expect next from Mariah. Even if it was only a soundtrack, it made my copy of the Sailor Moon dub soundtrack (shut up) seem bearable by comparison. At least DiC didn?t include guest rappers every other track. Or on any tracks at all, thank god. (Although She?s Got The Power was enough to fill me with extreme homicidal urges.)

So when I saw Charmbracelet pop up in the ever-unreliable reviews section of Yahoo! Launch, I did a quick check-through, having already heard (and liked) the first single - Through The Rain. Let?s see? a few guest rappers here and there. Hmm. Association with Cam?ron and his god-awful ?hit? Boy. I repressed the urge to ram my head through the monitor and scream in anguish.

But wait! Sunflowers For Alfred Roy? Sounded promising. A Def Leppard cover? I never cared much for Def Leppard, but this was just too interesting to pass up. So, after downloading both of these tracks, I decided I had to have it, despite the exceptionally hokey name (yeah, yeah, I know) and sample from Boy. This would turn out to be a good thing.

So get out your horseshoes, rub your rabbit?s foot, and hope you?ll survive, because it?s time for? ::drum roll:: the track-by-track!

1. Through The Rain - Gee whiz, who?d have thought that Charmbracelet?s first single would be track one? A music-box sound starts off this slow, sweet ballad a la Hero and countless other Mariah torch songs. It gets muffled a bit into a synthophone sound, soon joined by a soft bit of piano, finger snaps, wind chimes here and there, and sparse strings. Muffled ?tick-tock? drumbeats follow shortly after - and ¾ of the way through, they finally become a bit more pronounced.

Musically, Through The Rain can?t be faulted. However, it seems that up till the end of the song, Mariah just can?t seem to pick a damn register to sing in. Starting off whispery, Mariah assures the list
ener that they ?can make it through the rain - I can stand up once again on my own, and I know that I?m strong enough to mend!? Unfortunately, she alternates between whispery and borderline-articulate at some of the most annoying, inopportune moments (women. Can?t seem to make up their damn minds - don?t hurt me), before finally belting the hell out of the chorus the last go-through. Irritation aside, a great way to start off.

8/10

2. Boy (I Need You) - I was all set to hate this track. Loathe it. It had that annoying, Alvin and the Chipmunks-esque ?boy? chant. It had Cam?ron, for chrissake. That was surely a recipe for disaster ?wasn?t it?

Starting off by a bit of guitar-twanging, high-pitched strings, finger snapping, odd little beeps, synthophones? and a bit of harp, Boy kicks into a bass-laden R&B track, with a bit of xylophone work and the beeps taking up residence in the background. The guitar twangs appear here and there along with wind chimes and a little more harp. The overall effect is cute laid-back, and too catchy to hate.

Mariah stays whispery throughout (only rising into a lovely little whistle as the song fades out), the lyrics sometimes a bit slurred as she tells some ?(boy) I love you, (boy) I need you, gotta have you (boy), I wanna feel your touch - this ain?t no little crush, so come and get my love!? Halfway-through, Cam?ron throws in a surprisingly decent rap, amid the sparsely-used calls of ?boy! Boy! Boy! Oh, boy!? from? whatever the hell is doing that.

I actually made it through the song without wanting to chuck my computer (or at least the CD) out the window. Amazing.

9/10

3. The One - This single sets yet another relaxed mood amid bubbly, beepy synths, a relaxed, stuttering beat built mainly on cymbal taps, strings that rise and fall at wonderfully-placed intervals, and what sounds like a muffled electric guitar wailing away around the middle. (I actually didn?t catch thi
s detail till just recently. Stupid attention span.) A bit of acoustic guitar-strumming completes this mid-tempo R&B hit.

Then J.D. starts in with a little monologue (?M.C., baby, tell em what we talking about!? is heard through the song) and I grab the nearest hardcover book to beat my head against. Thankfully, his bantering is over very soon (save for the part mentioned above) and Mariah cuts in with fast-paced, whispery vocals as she tells us that ?see, I?m goin? through a situation that I can?t help - wanna get a little closer but I promised myself that I would never give my heart away again!? Voice rising slightly in the background over her whispers, Mariah at least manages to outshine J.D. here, saving the song from being too annoying.

Now if only she?d tell J.D to F.O. (I think you can figure that one out on your own.)

8/10

4. Yours - A bit of harp and xylophone start off yet another soft, pretty ballad, carried by thumping bass, finger snaps, a very tiny bit of guitar-strumming, synthophones (of course) and wind-chimes. A bit of xylophone makes itself heard in the chorus, giving the song an overall starry-night feeling.

Mariah sounds relaxed and wistful here as she sings in a blend of her articulate voice and her whisper, sounding a bit wistful and seductive as she tells a lover that ?tender love?s what you?re giving me, and you surpass all my fantasies, and I keep thanking the lord above for blessing me with so much!? She starts to really infuse energy into her voice over halfway through, getting stronger and more articulate, finally rising up into a sweet, ecstatic shrill as she sings that the lover is ?so amazing, amazing, amazing!? Yeah, so was that shrill there.

But god are the lyrics cheesy! I won?t hold that against her, but still?

9/10

5. You Got Me - Acoustic guitar starts off the song, being plucked amid record-scratching sounds, high-pitched, warped synths, and a thump
ing beat. A few very rapid drumbeats sneak in here and there amid middle-key xylophone tapping and a it of triangle-tapping. The chipmunk voice that showed up in Boy appears once more here, chanting ?you know, you got me!? at intervals, sometimes lending a bit of humming to the song? and thankfully, that?s about as annoying as the song gets.

Freeway (whoever he is) lends a decent, somewhat-comical rap (what the hell does Winnie The Pooh have to do with anything, Freeway?) to the beginning of the song, later followed by Jay-Z. I was a bit wary at first, but Jay-Z always gave great contributions to a majority of the songs he appeared in, so I wasn?t too worried. Mariah once more alternates between whispery and articulate, vaguely incomprehensible here as she croons ?(You know you got me) so in love? (you know you got me) daydreamin? about us?? Overall, more solid performances turned in from everyone... except the chipmunk. I don?t like that thing. It?s just creepy.

8/10

6. I Only Wanted - Just as Rainbow had After Tonight, thus Charmbracelet has I Only Wanted, another Latin-tinged song, with Spanish guitar, a bit of mournful piano-work, and a slow, steady ?tick-tock? drumbeat keeping the song flowing along smoothly, amid a weird little water-drip sound.

Mariah sounds lonely and regretful here, keeping her softer register in the verses, starting to swell on the chorus. ?I only wanted you to stay? linger and mean the words you say. Foolishly, I romanticized someone was saving my life for the first time?? Not often nowadays do you hear an artist sing anything like they mean, it, but Mariah projects hurt and despair in every note, letting it all out at the end (as is the norm for her songs) before reverting back to a sorrowful whisper.

And then she does the greatest thing any human being could ever do in the next track.

10/10

7. Clown - (Long, gushy description ahead). By now you?ve probably heard the s
tory associated with this song - Mariah?s ballsy come-back at Eminem, who alluded to having had an intimate relationship with her. Now, I hate Eminem with a passion, so hearing a hilarious, well-done answer to his allegations just made my day. Starting off with a quick bit of acoustic guitar work over very subtle bass, a laid-back beat enters, carried by cymbal taps and (wait for it) finger snaps (oh boy). Strings rise and fall abruptly throughout the chorus, later on swelling a tiny bit and floating throughout the song.

Keeping her voice consistently soft through the song (belting out the other choruses near the end amid her whispers), Mariah redefines ?the velvet glove that hides the iron fist.? Sweet and taunting, singing rapidly in a tone that suggests someone explaining something to a child (how fitting), she tells Eminem that ?takin? my G5 twenty minutes wasn?t nothing?, but I guess you wouldn?t know - that?s the way it roll. Consequently, now your ego?s fully overblown. You don?t want the world to know that you?re just a puppet show, and the little boy inside often sits at home alone and cry, cry, cry, cries (boo hoo? who?)?

Ow. Feeling like something was missing (adding in ?I guess your momma never told you that what goes around comes back around?), my new hero adds in a soft, final ?Pow!? at the end while I contemplate building an eternal shrine to her greatness.

11/10

8. My Saving Grace - Mariah returns to her gospel roots once again, the first time sine Anytime You Need A Friend that she?s delved so deep into the genre. This laid-back track starts off with subtle wind chimes, a soulful bit of piano? and, damn it all, electric organ. Some synthophones and wah-wah guitar come in soon after, and yet again a laid-back, soothing beat carries the whole song.

Mariah pours all of herself into her performance here, articulate, keeping things soft for the most part until - wait for it - near the end of the song, whe
re she belts out ?Lord, thank you, for delivering me, and giving me peace! Giving me strength! Giving me hope when I?d almost lost it all!? You can probably guess what she?s referring to. One of the strongest vocal performances on the album, lyrically sweet and moving, our darling diva really sparkles on here.

10/10

9. You Had Your Chance - A haunting piano solo starts off this thumping, mid-tempo (just humor me here) song, with annoying ad-libs from our favorite irritating co-producer? J.D.. More wah-wah guitar is heard against the piano, pounding bass, wind-chimes (hmm), warped synths, and strings. Kind of like this whole album - ?something to relax to.?

Even Mariah?s squeals seem soft, as she turns in yet another whispered performance, apologizing to an ex-lover who wants her back in his life despite his poor treatment of her: ?We used to be close (but you didn?t love me). We used to be best friends (but you didn?t really care). I let you into my soul (didn?t know you couldn?t be trusted). It took me so long to forget (all the little things we shared).? Taking it with an attitude that seems to say ?get a clue, dumbass,? she sounds a bit irritated here.

Just like I am with J.D. What a coincidence.

9/10

10. Lullaby - Soft xylophone taps start off yet another chilled slice of R&B, with a thumping bass-line, borderline-rapid cymbal tapping, and a ?one-two-three-four, one-and-a-two-and-a-three-and-a-four? drumbeat, all held together by an addictive bit of buzzing, beeping synthesizers.

I know, I know. You?re probably getting tired of the words ?soft? and ?whispery? being used in conjunction with Mariah?s voice on these songs. But, alas, once again she?s whispery on here, sounding a bit seductive and revisiting and earlier song - The Roof - lyrically: ?So familiar, you know, that it actually almost feels like déjà vu - of that night on the roof, we kissed under the sky amid city lights? a sudden flas
hback to so long ago.? Barely raising her voice, this one goes down like a tall, cool, glass of soda.

?Damn it, now I?m thirsty.

11/10

11. Irresistible (West Side Connection) - Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh. A thumping hip-hop beat starts off what seems to be a promising track, with wah-wah guitar and high-pitched, squealing synths mingling with wind chimes and acoustic guitar strumming (some electric can be heard here and there) and synthophones.

Mariah turns in yet another great, articulate-whisper performance (amid her own muted ?woah-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh?s in the background), as she admits that ?I know it?s unrealistic to think to think that things will get better between you and me, cause time after time, you just shatter my heart? but when I?m without you, I feel so torn apart.? However, this song is completely and utterly ruined by a bit of ?rapping? from Ice Cube (who keeps chanting ?Mariah?s on the west side? through the song) , Mack 10, and WC.

And thus what could?ve been a great song is ruined. R.I.P., Irresistible.

6/10

12. Subtle Invitation - An exceptionally surprising musical turn comes for Mariah in this track, in which hard drums introduce us to a heaping helping of jazz, introduced by a nice bit of trumpet-work, cymbal clashing, xylophones, a subtle bit of bass guitar, and acoustic placed over it? emitting yet more of the laid-back vibes that have floated around the album so far.

Again soft (of course), Mariah performs splendidly, occasionally belting out over her proposition to an ex: ?If you really need me, baby, just reach out and touch me - you don?t ever have to be downhearted again. If she hurts you or misleads you, baby, all you ever need to do is call me and let love back in.? You can just see her sitting in a high-class lounge, all gussied up, keeping a death grip on the mic as she seamlessly sings her way through this song.

Or not. I can, at least.

11/10 r>
13. Bringin? On The Heartache - Okay, first off, I?ve never heard the original version of this Def Leppard cover (yes, you read the band name right). So I can?t really compare the two? in any case, many were shocked at first to discover that Mariah was going to do this song. And now I have yet to see someone who hates it. Unsurprising, as her covers are usually excellent.

A Spanish guitar, strings (including a distinct bit of cello), and piano lead us off into a somber track, filled with an exotic feel. Finger snaps carry the beat up to the chorus, during which drums and electric guitars jump in (preceded by electric organ). The drumbeats keep steady, stuttering a bit for the remaining verses. Overall strong musical track. Now let?s see how our little songbird is faring in the vocal department.

Seems we have a winner here. Her alluring, quiet voice works perfectly with lyrics that fit her femininity like a glove: ?Gypsy? sittin? looking? pretty, a broken rose and laughing eyes? you?re a mystery, always running wild? like a child without a home. You?re always searchin?, searchin? for a feelin?, but it?s easy come and easy go?? During the chorus, almost the entire song, she really lets loose amid the gospel-choir-esque background singers that have been missing for a while.

And now I?m suddenly reminded of conversations I had with a few of my friends, with me suggesting the idea of Mariah covering Baby Got Back. I hope you don?t think I was serious about it.

11/10

14. Sunflowers For Alfred Roy - The title, at first, got me scratching my head. Who the hell was Alfred Roy and why is Mariah giving him pretty flowers? Then I found out, soon enough, that Alfred Roy is the name of her deceased father - whom this album is dedicated to. Lyrically along the lines of Petals and Twister, it?s a shame Mariah can?t be given credit for more songs like these.

Birds are heard chirping amid soft string, before a soft, u
nderstated bit of piano carries this short tribute along. Vocally, Mariah keeps things soft and respectful here, thanking her father for ?forgiving hurtful things I?ve done as a child, adolescent, or woman? thank you for embracing a flaxen-haired baby. Although I?m aware you had doubts, I guess anybody?d had have doubts.? Short, simple, touching. Not my overall favorite track, but there?s no doubting the sincerity and love held here.

10/10

15. Through The Rain (Remix) - Keeping up with a tradition that started with Daydream - remixing one of the singles (usually the first single) from the album - Mariah brings in R&B prodigies Joe and Kelly Price to back her up here. Backed by soft acoustic guitar strumming, a slow, soft beat laced with triangle-taps, xylophone, and soft wind chimes (with a bit of? the electric organ showing up to complete the set), Charmbracelet ends on a relaxed, happy note.

Less irritating vocally, Mariah whispers mainly on the verses and raises her voice (including a nice, strong squeal) for the chorus. Joe pulls in a decent bit with his smooth tenor, though his voice sometimes gets lost against Mariah?s. Kelly is barely heard until after the 2:30 mark, after which she really starts to belt it out, contributing the most energy out of the three singers. Overall, their voices blend smoothly enough? but I wish Joe would have had more of a chance to shine.

Make him nice and shiny. Now.

9/10

Two words I?ve probably over-used by this point are ?laid-back? and ?whispery.? (Probably resulting in me not doing the album the justice it deserves). But that?s pretty much what Charmbracelet offers - a stunning return to Mariah?s best days, with only one song really bogging things down. A relaxed feeling that, by the time the album?s over, leaves you feeling fresh.

By the way, anyone who makes a Douche joke here is going to be killed in a most violent, painful way.

But I digress. A
lthough vocally not as strong as she used to be, Mariah really knows how to make great music (one atrocious soundtrack aside, of course) and stay in the business. A great start on the return to her older days, we?re served with a great collection of mid-tempo jams here. If you want a soothing winner, infused with a seamless blend of musical styles - R&B, pop, and a hint of jazz - then you?ll find this Charmbracelet to be quite charming.