Coco By Request (2011)

Collette isn’t easy to describe or place into a category, and to an artist like her, that’s probably a compliment. Marching to the beat of her own drum since the early years (she was a part of jazz and marching bands in her native South Carolina), Collette claims influences from across genres and spectrums (Cher, Duke Ellington, Faith Evans, to name a few) and artfully combines them all  with her own confident flair on her second release, CoCo By Request.

Composed of full numbers and ‘request line’ types of intros, Collette is self-assured and authentic in her renderings, whether she’s weaving hip-hop-style breaks and verses into a starry-eyed ode to newly-encountered soul mate (“When he stepped in the room it wasn’t really no question, see he is my blessing and I’m his reflection/ I glow because I know that my orbit is through, he is the sun and I am the moon.”) or a compelling remake of India.Arie’s “Ready For Love,” which isn’t as languorous or reflective  as the original, but just as honest and heartfelt. “Angels,” elegantly  delivered a cappella style before giving way to a frenetic up tempo backdrop, displays gospel roots without overreaching or becoming hokey.

Whether she’s describing what she needs to keep the love life percolating (the playful and provocative “Sparks”) or putting her relatable flaws out on Front Street (“Dead Wrong”), the only real drawback to the CD is that it leaves the listener yearning for more full-fledged songs and a lot less intros/interludes. Collette is still making her way and has a bit more polishing to do, but it won’t be long before a broader audience finds her flavor, samples it and make moves to cop this enjoyable CoCo…. for themselves.

Vocals: 4.0 stars
Lyrics: 4.0 stars
Music: 3.0 stars
Production: 3.0 stars

SoulTracks Call: Recommended

By Melody Charles

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