(December 4, 2024) In the selfie-obsessed, photo-filtered and auto-tuned era we dwell in, it can be more challenging to figure out what an artist is selling us, so to speak: a powerful voice with a mediocre stage presence, or a run-of-the-mill set of pipes with smoldering charisma to distract from their shortcomings?
Anyone can drop a hot song and seize a moment, but a career that lasts comes from cultivating genuine talent and songs that resonate in the heart and touch the soul, qualities that we’ve always enjoyed from veteran crooners like Eric Benet and songstresses like Chante Moore. Special by themselves yet spectacular when paired, anyone who’s a fan will find themselves enjoying their sparks and effortless chemistry as a duo on the live version of the mid-tempo from Benet’s latest EP, “So Distracted.”
It’s an easy memory for those who’ve been there, the scatterbrained feeling of being so caught up with their boo that little else matters: deadlines, projects get delayed, even forgotten, because all you want to do is rush through the day and melt into them. Nimbly yet enthusiastically Moore and Benet’s seasoned vocals create just the perfect blend, not overpowering or out-staging one another as they encapsulate the fervor of new love: “They say ‘hey, you ain’t been on top of your game,’ and I’ve been in my *a* cuz/ in your eyes time flies and your lips prolong the sessions.”
There are apps that can clean up images and edit rough edges in recordings, but there’s no such thing as creating a worthy final product if the ingredients never existed to begin with. Eric Benet and Chante Moore have graced us with their skills for decades, so don’t expect “Distracted” to reinvent the wheel when sometimes, like right before a hectic holiday, you would welcome the opportunity to reminisce, reconnect with a couple of favorite performers and simply bask in the ambiance of a smooth ride.
By Melody Charles
