If Karyn Allen were an insurance agent, she could easily sell honesty as the company’s best policy. Fortunately for soul music fans, Allen as a singer/songwriter is all about honesty. The intro for her debut The Karyn Allen Experience says it all as she iterates: "The entire album seems like a story." Whether relaying her own story or someone else’s, Allyn’s brutally honest lyrics reveal a wide open book. And there are plenty of emotions that she lays out for the listener to experience.
The Karyn Allyn Experience also offers wall-to-wall classic soul sensibility seamlessly blended with a contemporary R&B flavor. Allyn’s influences like Maze and Patti LaBelle are impressively captured by her producer – the appropriately named Soulman Mathematix. With lyrics that cut to the quick and music with a soulful substance, The Karyn Allen Experience absolutely sells the urban music fan on a solid insurance policy.
Notable Tracks: Forever Lover, Joyride, So Tired, It’s Over, The Way Life Goes
Vocals: 3.5 stars
Lyrics: 3.5 stars
Music: 3.5 stars
Production: 3.0 stars
SoulTracks Call: Highly Recommended
By Peggy Oliver
