Music review: Epiphany by Chrisette Michele

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Savvy songstress Chrisette Michele first hit the scene in 2007. After collaborating with hip-hop leaders Jay-Z and Nas, Chrisette put out her first album, I Am, capturing fans with her jazz-influenced sounds and sultry vocals. With her sophomore album, Epihany, produced by Ne-Yo, Michelle delivers an album about relationships and heartbreak in a voice full of vibrancy, edge and youth.

The album starts off with her hit-single “Epiphany,” a sassy, up-tempo song about leaving her cheating boyfriend. She slows it down in “Notebook” as she croons about a crush that she can’t find the nerves to approach, instead “Writes in my notebook/X’s and O’s beside your name.”

Chrisette gives a strong performance in soulful ballad “Blame it On Me,” delivering a pitch-perfect performance while telling an ex-lover to blame her for the failed relationship. She picks up the tempo in songs “Playing Our Song,” which she sings about that one special song between lovers, and “Another One,” which she croons about a boyfriend acting funny, singing “Friends come around/you don’t act the same.”

The smooth, sultry voice is stunning as she sings to her ideal man in “Mr. Right,” and again in “On My Own” and “Fragile.” In “Porcelain Doll,” fans get a refresher of the jazzy, yet sassy sound that first brought the songstress into the spotlight, while she sings “I’m a full grown woman/ I am not your porcelain doll.” She ends the album in the piano-laced ballad “I’m Okay.”

Chrisette Michele delivers everything one hopes from an up-and-coming, here-to-stay artist. With her pitch-perfect vocals, catchy lyrics and tempos, Epiphany makes a hot album that everyone will love.

Music review

Lily Allen, It’s Not Me, It’s You

/news/2009/feb/19/music_review/

Music Review: Shilpa Ray & Her Happy ...

KJHK's weekly guide to sonic consumption.

/news/2011/mar/10/music-reviewshilpa-ray-her-happy-hookers-teenage-t/

Music Review: Soft Circle - 'Shore Obsessed'

KJHK's guide to sonic consumption.

/news/2011/feb/10/music-review-soft-circle-shore-obsessed/

Music review: 'Years of Refusal' by Morrissey

3 out of 4 stars

/news/2009/feb/26/music_review/

Music review: Chris Cornell, 'Scream'

3 out of 4 stars

/news/2009/mar/26/music_review_chris_cornell_scream/

Top Album: Factories

What’s topping the charts this week at KJHK

/news/2012/jan/25/top-album-factories/

Music Review: Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion

Four stars out of four

/news/2009/jan/15/review_animal/

Music Reviews

/news/2005/sep/01/music_reviews/

MUSIC: Pink, Funhouse

/news/2008/oct/30/music_pink/

Review: Rabbit Fur Coat by Jenny Lewis ...

/news/2006/feb/09/jpmusic_review_irabbit_fur_coati_jenny_lewis_watso/

Music Review

Marry Me by St. Vincent

/news/2007/oct/25/music_review/

Stage Presence: Poema

Feel free to swoon.

/news/2011/oct/27/stage-presence-poema/

Review: Veda

/news/2005/aug/25/review_veda/

Album Review: "Bon Iver, Bon Iver"

A guide for music consumption.

/news/2011/sep/14/album-review-bon-iver-bon-iver/

Music review: Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & the ...

KJHK’s weekly guide to sonic consumption.

/news/2010/apr/15/music-review-bonnie-prince-billy-cairo-gang-wonder/

Music review: 'Changing Horses' by Ben Kweller

2.5 out of 4 stars

/news/2009/feb/26/music_review_2/

Alumna expresses life through music

Lisa Donnelly’s hit song “Laugh” makes it to the television in Brazil.

/news/2010/apr/05/alumna-expresses-life-through-music/

Mates of State on Love and Staying ...

Kori Gardner of indie-pop duo Mates of State tells how she keeps ...

/news/2012/jan/18/mates-state-love-and-staying-together/

Music review: 'Fork in the Road' by ...

3 out of 4 stars

/news/2009/apr/30/music_review/

Who's Who: Kelly Jenkins

Kelly Jenkins finds an outlet for her love for music through the ...

/news/2007/apr/18/whos_who/

A night at the opera

Get a glimpse at the life of KU opera singers inside Murphy ...

/news/2010/jan/22/ku-opera/

Maverick

/news/2005/sep/08/maverick/

Music review: Roots Manuva Meets Wrongtom

KJHK's guide to sonic consumption.

/news/2010/dec/09/music-review-roots-manuva-meets-wrongtom/

Music review

The Fray, The Fray

/news/2009/feb/12/music_review/

Music review: The Magnetic Fields - 'Realism'

KJHK's weekly guide to sonic consumption.

/news/2010/feb/04/music-review/

Accessing jazz

Make jazz more accessible by checking out local acts.

/news/2010/apr/29/accessing-jazz/

Olivia The Band

/news/2005/feb/03/jayplay_music_olivia/

Listen: Hot Hot Heat, Elevator

/news/2005/apr/21/jayplay_music_heat/

MUSIC: Conor Oberst, Conor Oberst

/news/2008/aug/28/music_conor_oberst_conor_oberst/

Kansas In Heat: Intimate Jams

Tackle the sticky world of relationships

/news/2010/sep/09/kansas-heat/

Guitars and Grace

At Open Swim, worshippers get down with God

/news/2007/apr/05/guitars_and_grace/

Reliving the music dream

Mark Gottschall, journalism resource center supervisor, recorded an album in Spain 35 ...

/news/2008/apr/16/reliving_the_music_dream/

Music: Old Crow Medicine

/news/2008/oct/09/music_old_crow_medicine/

under the blacklight

Rilo Kiley

/news/2007/oct/18/under_blacklight/

Music Review

Concert Reviews

/news/2007/mar/01/music_review/

Music guy

Your guide to music utopia

/news/2008/may/08/music_guy/

Know art through your cell phone

Spencer Museum program allows students to learn about outdoor campus sculptures via ...

/news/2010/mar/31/know-art-through/

Kansan Departments

Your guide to surviving the week.

/news/2008/jun/20/kansan_departments/

Reviews

/news/2005/oct/20/reviews/

Tomorrow's news: Midomi

/news/2008/nov/06/tomorrows_news_midomi/

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.

Sign in to comment

Or login with:

OpenID