Album Reviews

Album Reviews: Epiphany by Chrisette Michele

Chrisette Michele is no joke. She’s also one of the most successful R&B singers that you’ve probably never heard of! The accomplished songstress has Grammy nominations, BET Award nominations and a Gold-selling album under her belt already but she’s yet to cross over the line from critical acclaim to commercial superstardom. But with Ne-Yo serving as the producer/architect behind the lushly spacey Epiphany, Michele is poised to garner even more accolades and break through to the mainstream success that she’s hovering on the cusp of!. Her voice is a delicious little dream and she coos over a jazzy/pop mix of songs that have a bit of a smooth jazz and lite soul tinge, but rest assured. Miss Michele isn’t drifting into dentist office tunes any time soon!

The album’s title track has a deft, unexpected combination of percussion and piano, while “Blame it on Me” is the album’s most soulful jam. “The Notebook” is a semi-ballad, while “All I Ever Think About” is a true, soft R&B sensation where it’s all about Michele and her lovely, lovely pipes. There’s romance behind “Playin’ Our Song,” but it’s sassy rather than sappy. “Another One” is where Michele shines like the sun, as her voice asserts itself among other female harmonists. She doesn’t belt out her material in diva-like fashion, like, say Mary J. Blige, but that’s simply because she doesn’t need to! This girl has a damn fine, utterly impressive range, and she isn’t shy about demonstrating it on Epiphany. Here’s to hoping that the rest of the world experiences that same Epiphany sooner than later.

— Amy Sciarretto
05.28.09