author: ARIEL RUSQUE
I LOVE IT
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Delightful Mix of Pop, Latin and R&B
author: Carolyn
“We’re gonna go back,” Michelle Tavares declares on the reprise of “Want to Be” on Just Michelle, and she largely succeeds with an album that’s charm is due to an emphasis on good, old-fashioned fun. The Toronto-native’s sophomore effort is a mix of pop, Latin, and R&B that will make you want to move.
Just Michelle is a record with many cuts that seem destined for the dance floor. Producers Joel Joseph and Kenny Moran (NuVintage Music Group) keep the beats pulsing, incorporating acoustic guitar, hand claps, throbbing bass lines, and horns that give their songs a distinctive sound. One of the album’s best tracks is the body-grooving “Chileno”, which speaks of burgeoning desire and is perfectly accented by Latin rhythms. A cover of Teena Marie’s “I Need Your Lovin’” provides some old-school fun and funk.
Tavares remains appropriately light and playful on jams such as “Keep Your Eyes On Me” and “Want to Be.” Graceful ballads like “Forgive and Forget” and “Find Yourself” demonstrate romantic angst and growing self-confidence respectively while tender midtempo “Fallin’” emerges as one of the album’s highlights. Fellow artists Wade-O Brown, Divine Brown, and Kayte Burgess contribute some lovely background vocals, and Just Michelle exudes a positive, feel-good vibe. This isn’t the meatiest record, but it’s one that will get the party started and keep it going.
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