Alicia Keys - The Diary Of Alicia Keys (2003)

Tracklist
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01. Harlem's nocturne
02. Karma
03. Heartburn
04. If I was your woman / Walk on by
05. You don't know my name
06. If I ain't got you
07. Diary
08. Dragon days
09. Wake up
10. So simple
11. When you really love someone
12. Feeling u, feeling me
13. Slow down
14. Samsonite man
15. Nobody not really


Whereas Alicia Keys's debut was in essence a musical overview that recorded snapshots of her life over the five years it took to complete, her follow up, The Diary Of, is the scribbled footnotes of the very busy two years since. She's certainly kept tabs on what's been going on the old-skool R&B influences so evident on her debut have become overshadowed by the kind of people she previously stood apart from.

Witness "Karma"; with its harsh beats, undulating background string section and funky, slightly dirty groove, it could easily be a Justin Timberlake song, as could the Timberland-produced "Heartburn". She plays it safe on "If I Ain't Got You" and "Diary" though, and there is still much to enjoy that can directly be attributed to her oft-mentioned classical training and childhood influences.

It's also easy to forget what an amazing voice she has, best demonstrated here on "If I Was Your Woman". And for all her fancy ivory work, remember that it was the simplicity of "Falling's" descending piano line that sent her career into the ionosphere. There is nothing like that here, just the painful noise of Nas and Rankin contributing to "Streets Of New York".

The Diary Of is neither one thing nor the other. A curious mix of slick modern R&B tinged with influences from the past (often sampled ones) and her own more traditionally arranged soul. If she'd put all her energy into completely modernising her sound then she could easily rival Beyoncé. Instead she's imitated the past and copied the present if she'd looked to the future then perhaps her true talent could have been fully realised. Cortman Virtue

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