Rating: * * *
Verdict: American soul queen takes nice'n'easy route.
Alicia Keys sang on one of the best, if not the best song, on Jay Z's latest album from last year, and she reprises Empire State of Mind on her fourth long-player. In keeping with her stylish soul sound she comes up with a sweeter version of the song, rather than the sonic posturing of the original, and it's the track with the most life on an album lacking intensity.
Keys has never really stepped up to match the momentum she created on 2001 debut Songs In A Minor and follow-up The Diary of Alicia Keys from 2003. Empire State of Mind is the closest she's come to equalling the power of songs like Fallin' and If I Ain't Got You. Which is a shame because her voice is still stunning, with a deep, rich and soaring quality. But she hardly lets go here - ironic, considering the album's title - and the songs are bogged down by that.
Songs like Love Is Blind and the synth-heavy Wait Til You See My Smile sound almost self-piteous rather than empowered, and the deep neo-soul mood she conjured up early on in her career has mostly given way to lovely but lightweight instrumentation.
Doesn't Mean Anything is also lovely, in a Bruce Hornsby and the Range kind of way, and her duet with Beyonce on Put It In A Love Song is the only real belter, with beats and attitude to match. So more of that next time please Ms Keys, both in your bangers and your ballads.
