Let's get to it. Midnight Rec: The Stoop by Little Jackie Considering how quickly an artist can obtain the it girl factor in the modern record industry based on one song (Katie Perry and Estelle, as two examples), I'm baffled by the response to Little Jackie. Sure, VH1 picked up on the new(ly reincarnated) R&B/pop duo, going so far as to use the lead off single The World Should Revolve Around Me as the theme song to the new reality series New York Goes to Hollywood. The reviews have been solid, too. So why are Estelle's and Katie Perry's getting all the play with catchy pop tracks and Little Jackie can't get no mainstream lovin on the second go around? Providing an intelligent, personal, critical, danceable, sing-a-long-able album is no easy feat. Little Jackie does it with gusto. It feels true. Imani Coppola's vocals are pure mainstream R&B, with a sweet smooth soprano containing a bit of edge and a surprisingly darkn tone. Her diction is the biggest selling point for the music. Every single word is crystal clear on the first listen, refreshing for a songwriter. The beats, produced by DJ Adam Pallin (the other half of Little Jackie), are perfect. The rules of Brooklyn are outlined in a tongue in cheek way in title track The Stoop. Clever turns of phrase and false boastfulness sell the single The World Should Revolve Around Me. Her hardships in life are painstakingly outlined in plain language on closing track Go Hard or Go Home. She even has a track indicting Winehouse for her poor behavior and drug addiction, pointing out how any other artist could step up and steal her role. She begs Winehouse to wake up and step up to the plate. Which is crucial at this moment, considering the huge campaigns for fellow London soul singers Duffy and Adele, as well as a gigantic US launch for Estelle singing and rapping on similar topics. The sole weak point of the album is Black Barbie, another critical track about the US entertainment industry's constant attempts to brush aside the unlawful, immoral behavior of the Hiltons and Ritchies and Lohans (and I guess now Leboufs). It feels weak after Go Hard or Go Home. Maybe if the placement was different on the album it wouldn't feel as weak, but the product stands with its track listing and this was the only mistake in programming. It's an excellent album. Try it. You'll probably like it. And I answered my own question: smart music doesn't sell. Get it while you can, people.

Labels: Midnight Rec