Featured: 0We've been big fans of Rick Braun for years, and recently showed him some love for his new album, Can You Feel It? And we've felt just as strongly for soul singer extraordinaire Elliott Yamin ever since we cheered him on during his run on American Idol. So we naturally got kinda excited when the two talents teamed together on Rick's new album -- especially since their collaboration was on an old favorite that was popularized by Al GrFacebook Comments: 1

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Featured: 1Smokey Robinson is one of the greatest soul singers and songwriters ever. It's been over a half century since he entered the lives of music fans with his unique combination of clever poetry and killer hooks, and now he is an artist who is revered by all who came after.Facebook Comments: 1

Artist: Marsha AmbrosiusFeatured: 1List Ranking: 0Review:   When your debut CD arrives at the top of the charts, garners a pair of Grammy nominations and cements your status as a performer as well as a songwriter, it's best not to rush back into the studio. The path to longevity is making music that people will connect to, rather than just hear, and Marsha Ambrosius, thankfully, knows the difference between the two. Late Nights And Early Mornings, her 2011 debut, generated radio-ready grooves (the title track, "Hope She Cheats On You [With A Basketball Player]" and the inescapable "Far Away") and whetted music lovers' appetites for fleshed-out, fully-realized projects in her near future. Since then the Liverpool, England native has proven prolific as a guest vocalist and mixtape-dropping maven, and now her much awaited new sophomore set arrives in the form of Friends And Lovers.   If the parental advisory label on the cover isn't enough of a clue, a quick glimpse at the track list should demonstrate the explicitness to be found within (the first half anyway) . It's certainly not vulgarity for vulgarity's sake, like R. Kelly's unfortunate Black Panties, but even the most liberal of listeners might blanch at "So Good," "Night Time" and "69," soft-core numbers that are delivered with orgasmic fervor; the last of the three spouting verses lewd enough to make Millie Jackson blush ("Take your clothes off, f*** me til' I forget/then I black out, throw my back out"). Interludes like "How Much More" and the less-than-subtle "Kiss & F***" also plunge the CD's Rawness-Meter well past the red--- the difference is that Marsha's 'inner freak' is the result of being passionate rather than simply predatory.      Otherwise, everything fans have come to expect from the former Floetry member is here, from the lushness of the production value, the sophisticated styling (thanks to Ambrosius, Da Internz, The J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and Eric Hudson, to name a few) and that voluptuous vibrato range, which is poured liltingly into songs like the first single, "Run," strewn across the heartbroken "You & I" and full of remorse in the 'sidechick soliloquy' entitled "Shoes." Yes, she now knows the man has a girlfriend, but it doesn't keep her from answering his calls, falling into his bed and struggling the morning after to leave the scheming playa-playa once and for all ("He's still laying here snoring and I want some more and/must be out my f***ing mind").    For the most part, Ms. Ambrosius' propensity to go against the grain pays off: Minnie Riperton's classic refrain is interwoven into the slow-jam serve-up, "La La La La La," traditional grown-folks soul abounds in her vulnerable Charlie Wilson duet, "Spend All My Time," and the stark, tear-stained "OMG I Miss You" recalls, for all of us, the bittersweet memory of The One That Got Away. One that might be pushing it is the bold Sade cover "Stronger," stretched over Jeru The Damaja's "Come Clean" beat (dope) and a Dr. Dre verse spliced in-between (nope).    Love re-purposed out of friendship, lusty moments with Mr. Right Now and surrendering body and soul to the one who makes our hearts sing and toes curl. Marsha Ambrosius channels her personal growth and musical prolificacy into songs that chart where we are, where we've been and where we might end up in our relationships. Friends & Lovers mirrors real life: some you've got to have within reach, others you can do without..... the rest just make the journey anything but routine. Highly Recommended.    By Melody Charles    Album Image: Click on CD cover to listen or purchaseAlbum Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Friends-Lovers-Explicit-Marsha-Ambrosius/dp/B00KZPII7C/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=soultracks-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=GZB6CN5GGH4WXAIH&creativeASIN=B00KZPII7CFacebook Comments: 1Title: Marsha AmbrosiusASIN:  var amzn_wdgt={widget:'MP3Clips'}; amzn_wdgt.tag='soultracks-20'; amzn_wdgt.widgetType='ASINList'; amzn_wdgt.ASIN='B00KZPII7C'; amzn_wdgt.title='Marsha Ambrosius'; amzn_wdgt.width='250'; amzn_wdgt.height='250'; amzn_wdgt.shuffleTracks='False'; amzn_wdgt.marketPlace='US';

Artist: DionneFeatured: 0List Ranking: 0Review: Dionne Kirby, the Dallas native who sings under the stage name of Dionne, is an inspirational artist. That is a title that a lot of singers want to avoid, but Dionne embraces it on her new album Helium. Now whether inspirational is just a real nice way of saying preachy depends on what an artist brings to the table as a lyricist and storyteller. Here?s the thing though. Helium has its share of uplifting anthems that encourage the listener to rise above or navigate around obstacles. However, two of the record?s best moments happen to come in the form of a couple of good old dance records. The first is the ?So Good Shuffle,? which is a bouncy line dance tune that finds Dionne singing the directions ?Up down/Up down/Shuffle step/Hop it back again/Oh yeah/Oohh it feels so good.? She follows that up with deep thumping bass of ?Boomerang,? a throwback jam that is a funky, cautionary tale about the how karma returns evil back to the address of the evil doer. So Dionne finds a way to insert a message into what is basically a dance tune. It works because the bass and heavy arrangement makes feet tap. The mid-tempo ?Allergies? uses the sneezes, watery eyes and other symptoms of an allergic reaction to highlight the toxicity that some people bring into our lives. Dionne sings that avoiding these toxic people is the best remedy. ?Insecurity made my eyes swell/Rage made it hard to breathe/Dying inside trying to make you smile/Distance is the remedy.? Some of more obvious inspirational tunes also capture the listener?s attention. Dionne uses the image of a fish or mermaid moving through the water to encourage people to look for different ways to confront and overcome challenges on ?Swim Around.? theme of ?Swim Around,? while the funk and jazz fused ?Love You? is a cry for people to love and embrace themselves in a world where self-loathing is often used as a marketing tool. ?Fully? is a song that honors anyone that can be viewed as an inspirational figure. This pays homage to those people who patiently endure our imperfections and guide us to be the best versions of ourselves. That person can be a parent, a teacher, a significant other or ?Fully? can describe the transformative role the God plays in our lives. ?Fully? is the tune that best represents Helium?s virtues. Dionne is lyricist at heart who is at her best when using her observational and storytelling skills to craft inspirational tells that navigate the boundary between the spiritual and secular. Recommended. By Howard Dukes Album Image: Click on CD cover to listen or purchaseAlbum Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Helium-Dionne/dp/B00LH2EDIU/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=soultracks-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=WRDBXVY2OXJOPPWA&creativeASIN=B00LH2EDIUFacebook Comments: 1Title: DionneASIN:  var amzn_wdgt={widget:'MP3Clips'}; amzn_wdgt.tag='soultracks-20'; amzn_wdgt.widgetType='ASINList'; amzn_wdgt.ASIN='B00LH2EDIU'; amzn_wdgt.title='Dionne'; amzn_wdgt.width='250'; amzn_wdgt.height='250'; amzn_wdgt.shuffleTracks='False'; amzn_wdgt.marketPlace='US';