Jill Scott – The Real Thing

There are some musicians that I just can’t live without for long. I need to hear their voices and their stories like I need to hear the voices and stories of my friends. And though their stories aren’t exactly the same as mine, since we’re contemporaries, the language they speak belongs as much to me as it does to them. They make lyrics out of my own unspoken thoughts, feelings, and experiences and set them to rhythms that sound as familiar to me as my laughter and my tears. Even when I haven’t heard from them in forever, as soon as they return it feels like we can pick up right where we last left off. Ms. Jill Scott is one of those musicians.

 Jill’s third full-length album “The Real Thing Words and Sounds Vol. 3” starts out strong. Culminating with the hard-thumping, in-your-face anthem ‘Hate on Me’, the first 3 tracks are a bold, defiant, and proud declaration of self – sort of Jill’s way of saying ‘i am who i am, like it or leave it’. In that regard, the intro adequately sets the stage for an album that pulses with an unapologetically sexy confidence on every single cut.Jill moves easily from the sensuous melodies on ‘Come See Me’ to the naughty spoken-word imagery conjured by (my personal faves) ‘Crown Royal’ and ‘Epiphany’ then on to the unrequited-love ballads ‘My Love’ and ‘Insomnia’. By the middle of the album, i’m smirking and thinking to myself, ‘this is definitely some grown-folk material here’. In her characteristically soulful, socially-conscious style Jill does an excellent job of setting the situations of us 30-something sistas to song. Whether she’s questioning the brothas on what they’d do if we were all gone or singing a tongue-in-cheek blues tune about the woes of celibacy, the words and sounds on her latest release strike a chord that i’m certain will have any listener feel as if she’s singing their song too…and that’s real.

****************************

If you haven’t gotten the cd yet – I’d suggest you do. There are 2 different versions: the standard versionand the deluxe limited edition that includes a bonus DVD. And if the CD doesn’t satisfy your jonesin’ for Jill, be sure to catch her in the latest Tyler Perry release ‘Why Did I Get Married’ or slide on over to the fan site to get your hands on goodies like video clips, album samples, wallpaper graphics and to stay up with the latest info on upcoming tour dates and performances.

cheers!

k