Amel Larrieux

Whether she's singing about failed love or Third World debt, Amel Larrieux brings an intense intimacy and emotional honesty to every track, and that puts her head and shoulders above the competition. "For Real" could be a classic Prince ballad, while songs like "Bravebird" and "Say You Want It All" show off her versatility.

On a jazzy strut in the middle of this mesmerizing album, Amel Larrieux laments that people
are always "Givin' Something Up." But not Larrieux. On her second solo effort since she
sang with Groove Theory, Larrieux refuses to settle for one of those patchy R&B records
that are too retro- or chart-minded to deliver sustained pleasure. From the title song, with
its strobe-y keyboards, to the piano testimony of "Beyond," Larrieux brings toge... More >