Tina Moore - Time Will Tell (2002)

If the glitter continues fading from Mariah Carey's career, the pop charts need not worry about her replacement. Not only is Carey an influence on Tina Moore, but this intensely soulful new artist has the same voice. That is, Moore has that combination of guttural gospel emotion and soothing sensuality -- but not much original vision to go along with it. The disc kicks off with a handful of power ballads, the best being "Time Will Tell," "Going Away," and "The More Things Change." The formula is similar on each one, with an eloquent and soft first verse and chorus and then building vocal drama, harder drumbeats and soaring strings. Just when it seems like Time Will Tell is a little too ballad-heavy, the tempo shifts a bit to mid-tempo with "All in My Vibe" and "More," which have thick, bass-intensive grooves but slightly less vocal magic. There's no doubt that she and her handful of directors behind the boards (led by Michael J. Powell) are steering her course to the slow-grooving romance realm. It's all good, but only time will tell if she can develop some sort of unique vibe to go along with the pipes. [AllMusic Review by Jonathan Widran]