Mary J. Blige “The London Sessions” Album Review

Prime Cuts: Not Loving You, Therapy, Whole Damn Year

"The London Sessions" is Mary J. Blige's cross-continental affair.  Incarnating the adage that the grass is greener on the other side, Blige has traveled across the pond, lived in London, partnered with the best of the Brit soul lovers and now we have "The London Sessions."  Part of the reason why Blige has gone over to England for inspiration is because she knows that R&B music in the US is in dire straits.  Gone are the days when her albums could move 2 to 3 million copies. Gone are the times when Blige could rule the charts with an iron fists with hits such as "Not Gon' Cry," "Real Love," "Family Affair" and "Be Without You."  In fact, it has been almost a decade since Blige last had a Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hit.  And you have to go back 5 years to find Blige's last top 10 Billboard R&B song.  Though Blige has still been releasing records by the clockwork, her last couple of non-seasonal albums, "My Life II" and "Think Like a Man Too" tanked without any ripple. 

Following in the footsteps of Jimi Hendrix who left the States to find a band in the 60s.  Blige has decided to re-invent herself with her first foray across the Atlantic.  On "The London Sessions," save for a track with US's producer Rodney Jerkins, she has collaborated with some of UK's young and upcoming musicians, including Sam Smith, Disclosure, Emeli Sande, Eg White, and Jimmy Napes.  As a result, Blige sounds rejuvenated and focused.  But the main difference is not so much with the sound or the production quirks.  Rather, what sets "The London Sessions" apart from the ton of anonymous sounding records that has cluttered the US R&B scene is that the songs are melodious again.  Just like you can sing along with Blige's earlier hits such as "No More Drama" or "Give Me You" or "Love is All We Need," many of these songs are melodiously superior.

"The London Sessions" can be equally divided between soulful ballads as well as Blige's foray into UK dance music.  In the former category, the gem has to be "Not Loving You," co-written by Sam Smith and James Napier.  Featuring just a piano, finger snaps and Blige's voice, "Not Loving You" brings to mind some of the best ballads of the 90s quipped with a sturdy melodic line.  This means it's not one of those coffee shop ballads that winds and winds without ever reaching its destination, "Not Loving You" makes a statement and hits one right at the melodic bull's eye.   Another Sam Smith creation is "Therapy."  Finding its hook in a litany of soul-searching questions, "Therapy" is a modern jeep funk soul jam littered with some "doo-wop" snaps.  "Whole Damn Year" finds Blige in vocal command, something that has been missing on her Christmas album released last year.  In that album, Blige sounds like she was a guest vocalist of a David Foster-helmed album. With "Whole Damn Year" Blige proves that she owns the song and she can belt it out to prove it.

When she delves into the dance tracks, the results are a tad less even.  Recalling Whitney Houston when she recorded a disco-version of "A Song for You," Blige shows the same class and control when she sings "Nobody But You." Disclosure are to be congratulated for producing "Right Now."  Never allowing Blige's dynamic vocals to be buried by the electronic beeps, "Right Now" is tastefully hip as well as reverent.  Rodney Jerkins aka Darkchild is emblematic of what's wrong with today's R&B music. Co-written by Jerkins, "Loving You" is just a smorgasbord of beats and notes without much of a clear crafted melodic blueprint.  And with the prevalence of electronica that drives many of the up tempos here, one misses the more soulful R&B side of Blige from her "No More Drama" and "My Life" days. 

In short, "The London Sessions" is a much needed recess for Blige.  In effort to breathe new life to her corpus of work, this album (though not perfect) is much needed.  And finally, it's nice to be able to single along with Blige again.      

 

 

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