From the first horn blasts on "(I Just Want It) To Be Over" to the last lingering chords on "Never," the debut album by R&B singer Keyshia Cole is absolutely stunning. This album grabs you right out of the gate and doesn't let go until the end, practically demanding to be replayed again and again. Although slickly produced and well written, the album is first and foremost about the power of Cole's voice. This songtress has a ferocious set of pipes on her, which she uses again and again to amazing effect. Cole is a belter that can blow with the best of them, with a raw edge to her voice that gives her music that much more of a gutteral punch. Yet she is also able to pull back and show a softer side, as evidenced on tracks such as "I Should Have Cheated" and "Superstar." Yet while the softer tracks provide a nice break and help round out the album, it's the powerful ballads on which Keyshia Cole shines brightest. Her voice soars on tracks like "You've Changed," and even at her young age Cole has clearly experienced her share of romantic heartache, as the emotion on this disc cannot be faked. She also has the daring and bravery to expose the heartache in her songs, while simultaneously showing a ferocity that bodes ill for anyone who dares to cross her.I have purposely held off on talking about the album's smash single, "Love," until now. It is, in my opinion, one of the greatest songs and recordings of the new millenium, and stands above the rest of the tracks on this incredibly solid album. Cole's rendition of this R&B power ballad is like a sucker punch to the gut, grabbing your attention and making you feel the unbridled joy of love and the devastating effects of its betrayal in the same breath. Merely hearing the first minute of this song was enough to convince me to buy the album, which has become one of my favorite purchases of the past year. And "Love" is the crowning achievement on this jewel of a CD.Cole has been increasingly compared to Mary J. Blige, and although I think that there will never be anyone quite like MJB (my personal favorite artist), Keyshia Cole has everything it takes to become just as huge. She has a voice that can tear any song to shreds, the maturity to know when to use it and when to hold back, and the life experience to bring honest and deepfelt emotion to her songs.If you like R&B music at all, you MUST buy this album. It will provide countless hours of enjoyment. And ten years from now when Cole is just as big a name as Mary J. Blige, you'll be able to smile and know you were with her from the start.
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