Contemporary R&B |
Rhapsody TV
August 7, 2012
Elle Varner is a restlessly inventive writer, and a singer with a sweetly gritty voice reminiscent of Keyshia Cole and Macy Gray. She mostly sticks to love and loss, but she devises nifty twists, from the slurred chorus of "Refill," to being too shy to speak to a crush on "Not Tonight." On "So Fly," she's a woman who frets over her body measurements, like TLC's "Unpretty." The one thing keeping Varner's debut Imperfect is the production: Save for the Biz Markie-inspired percussion on "Only Wanna Give It To You," its R&B-by-numbers can't keep pace with her outstanding lyrics.
The third and final album from T-Boz, Chili, and Left Eye, Fanmail came after a five-year hiatus, during which the group worked through some shady business deals and various legal problems. Despite the stress, they made a triumphant return, largely due to their hugely popular single "No Scrubs."
On The Record: Elle Varner Talks TLC
On the Record is a video series where rock stars gush about their favorite records -- in exactly 45 seconds. Click above to watch Elle Varner give it up for TLC.
