AALIYAH

Aaliyah [Atlantic]

She is, by her own admission, ‘Extra Smooth’ and perhaps that’s Aaliyah’s problem. In the few years that she’s been away pursuing a burdgeoning film career, R’n’B has aligned itself more and more with the street and hip-hop in particular, yet the 22-year-old remains resolutley old skool for one so young.

Compared to Kelis and Foxy Brown, her self-titled third album sounds worryingly like a female version of R Kelly (her one time mentor after all). The odd moment breaks the bland mould – ‘More Than A Woman’ packs a sassy punch while ‘I Refuse’ is a towering ballad that pits the singer against a

full blown orchestra, which she outshines with ease. Last year’s ‘Try

Again’ re-emerges as a piece of stylish pop but, generally, Aaliyah has little

to offer.

Phil Udell 4