Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel

Mariah Carey

ISLAND

Rs 395; rating: **

Mariah Carey is one of the most naturally talented and unpredictable singers. She is equally capable of delivering something as sonically sweeping as Vision of Love as she’s of producing something like the snore-inducing Charmbracelet. From being one of the most feted singers who could go from a seductive whisper to a glass-shattering alt in a heartbeat, Carey became a bit of a joke — the severely panned autobiographical movie/soundtrack project Glitter and tussles with record labels took their toll. With 2005’s Emancipation of Mimi and 2007’s E=MC2, she seemed to be taking back control and, with Memoirs..., she seems to be back in the driver’s seat; not that the ride isn’t bumpy.

It would be too much to expect the vocal gymnastics and flourishes the singer first delighted us with, but there are moments of brilliance. The chart-topping Obsessed and Up out my face see Carey being the fierce R&B singer that she was when Beyonce and the rest weren’t even blips on our musical radars. She unleashes her full astonishing vocal range in Angels cry — not the most brilliant bit of songwriting, but a fantastic example of what Carey can achieve. The lyrics are riddled with her favourite clichés. The girly girls might want to hear endlessly about candies, angels, ribbons and butterflies, but a slight edge to lyrics would have shown us just how much the crooner has matured. There’s humour here and there (using a marching band in the break-up song Up out my face is a wonderful, ironic touch), but overall the mood is bland, with tracks like Candy bling fading into elevator music. Don’t go looking for something like the monumentally moving Hero, but if you liked the radio-friendly purrs and whispers of Butterfly, you might enjoy this. Pooja pillai

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