3 out of 4 stars
I'm enjoying imagining the meeting that took place over the name of Jhene Aiko's full-length debut. It probably went something like this:
"'Blissed Out'?""No, that sounds like a hippie.""'Zoned Out'?""What is this, a stoner record?!""Well, how about 'Souled Out'?""Perfect. It's just the right description of her voice, PLUS the obvious pun about her giving in to the man."
So "Souled Out" it is, from the velvety-voiced singer who brought you the backup on Drake's "From Time," and also held her own at a sizzling Lollapalooza performance last month. Her 2013 EP, "Sail Out," also was a great promise of things to come, with guests like Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino and Ab-Soul.
Aiko's vocals are what a panther would sound like if it sang: husky and sleek, guarded and seductive. It nearly serves to mask the message behind tracks like "W.A.Y.S.," where Aiko reveals the purpose behind her drive ("This is for my brother, I do this for my daughter"), while at the same time seeming trapped in her life ("I gotta show them, that I can keep going/I gotta keep going, I gotta keep going"). She's an empathy-inspiring figure, a woman getting by on her voice, her luck and her heartbreak.
"Souled Out" is a lovely record, to be sure. But Aiko doesn't push her voice and emotions beyond that simplicity. Tracks like "Lyin King," filled with smart lyrics about a crappy ex, could've crackled with an injection of passion. Aiko writes her own work; you'd think she'd want to push herself to bring out the most in the material, but I found the 13 tracks melting into each other. That's great if you're using the album for an extended seduction session, but tiring if you're giving "Souled Out" a studied listen.
Hopefully next time around, she realizes that an album is like a walk through a museum gallery: You only want to stare at a beautiful watercolor for so long before moving on.
