Alana Davis
' sophomore album was released an astounding four years after her solid debut,
Blame It on Me
. The album is a triumphant return of an artist sadly missing in action. Her new songs are built around simple rhythm guitar with hints of
funk
,
reggae
, and
soul
.
Fortune Cookies
sounds remarkably fresh and immediate, considering that it was years in the making. It is no surprise that a
singer/songwriter
as talented as
Davis
would have progressed wonderfully as a songwriter and musician. The album's core theme of struggling to maintain optimism while mired in solitude encompasses the entire disc, making it more unified than her debut. Musically, a creative mix of drum production and string arrangements also makes
a fresh and sexy treat.
'
Stevie Wonder
and
Joni Mitchell
influences are once again apparent and applied with inspiration. The musical landscape was decidedly more open to female singers back in 1997, but the audience for an intelligent, soulful songwriter may have actually grown.
has more in common with
Alicia Keyes
Maxwell
than
Jewel
anyway. Standout tracks include the first single,
"I Want You,"
and the collaboration with super-producers
the Neptunes
on
"Bye Bye (AKA My Life)."
This album contains a cover more surprising than
's
"32 Flavors"
:
Whodini
"Friends."
If radio programmers know what's good for them, they will play this awesome reworking of the 1984
hip-hop
classic.
confidently avoids the pitfalls of a sophomore slump. The (second) arrival of a major talent. ~ JT Griffith