The embodiment of pedantry

Being a huge fan of her 2007 debut album “I Am”, I eagerly awaited this new project due to what can only be called a calculated move towards the mainstream. Whereas “I Am” focused on the old-feel jazz and soul feel that Amy Winehouse popularised during the same timeframe and suffered in parts from not having the necessary production value to support Michele’s singing voice, “Epiphany” tends to have the opposite affliction. Bearing the production and songwriting of Ne-Yo, the album in parts soars due to melodies and structures needed. Unfortunately, the sheer power of Chrisette’s voice is often lost in the light and spacious designs that Ne-Yo is also known for and as such, those same lyrics that seem so carefully crafted can seem blunted, or should I say cushioned, meaning it is often hard to empathise with what it is she is supposedly feeling.

Although this new album seems to have merely replaced the flaws of the first with others, it is far from lacklustre and adds another layer to the ever developing character of a potentially great young artist.