Search - Tamia :: More

Room to grow

rmcrae | Houston, Texas | 08/07/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's a shame Tamia isn't recognized outside of the R&B scene. She's been around for about 15 years now with hits like her Quincy Jones produced debut single You Put A Move on My Heart, So Into You, and Stranger In My House. As much as I've admired her chops, More is my first Tamia record and it's pretty good.



Officially Missing You was a genius choice for the first single. With a simple acoustic arrangement reminiscent of Babyface's When Can I See You and a few strings, Tamia solemnly laments the end of a relationship. I love how soft and vulnerable her vocals are. The R. Kelly produced Questions finds Tamia wondering if her man's sudden change in attitude could be the result of stress at work, bad health, or infidelity. It's not the most original take on the subject, but it's catchy and the dripping water effect adds to it's smooth groove. "Do he love me?/Lost interest?/Is he cheatin'?"



Whispers sounds like something you'd hear during the Midnight Love session on a quiet storm radio station. Tamia apologizes to her guy for constantly looking for faults in him and their relationship, wanting him to whisper "sweet nothings" in her ear and "tell me all the things that I long to hear" instead. The aura around the track is relaxed and seductive. Into You samples Tamia's 1998 hit So Into You with some raps from the long lost rapper Fabolous. Tamia is pretty much the hook girl, but she turns in a performance that isn't a carbon copy of the original and the production takes on a more tropical feel. Fabolous' rhymes aren't anything to write home about, but they're not all that bad either.



Smile has a sunny disposition despite the dejected lyrics. Although dying on the inside after a painful breakup, Tamia decides to "put a smile on my face/And if anyone asks me/Everything is ok." An often sung about topic that's given a fresh spin with Tamia's soaring vocals. Still is a sweet song about every moment with her husband (Grant Hill, for those who don't know) feeling like the first time. "Still feels like the first time we met that I kissed and I told you I love you/We still run around like teenagers even though we're grown and married with kids." She drives the point home that she wants only him on the head nodder I'm Yours Lately. "All I'm wearing is my necklace", she purrs.



The gospel inspired Poetry calls for a man to truly speak from the heart when describing his feelings for the woman in his life and the mysterious cut Why Ask Why tells him to put any worry or doubt of her love for him to rest. The late great Gerald Levert tears up the duet Close To You, a cover of The Carpenters classic. Although I could've done without Mario Winan's bit on Mr. Cool. He sounds like he's drunk, high, or just plain tired with his narcoleptic singing. Thankfully he doesn't bring the song down with it's laidback vibe.



On My Way is a decent yet faceless club track about going out and having fun. Tamia comes off sounding like Ashanti with a fluffy tune that just about anyone can sing and does nothing for her voice. The Trackmasters shout out ("can't spell Tamia without the TM") sounds tacky too. The title track More is a bit better, but it's also pretty bland when compared to the other songs. The closer Tomorrow is the standard gospel track made popular by Whitney and Mariah. It's impressive though and beautifully showcases the strength of Tamia's voice. The false endings are annoying though. One is fine, but any more than that is unnecessary.



More isn't the most stunning album out there, but it's definitely worth a listen with a few bumps in the road and plenty of highlights. Let's see what else Tamia's got and hope and pray she has more in store for us in the future."