Comments for Howard, Miki, Can't Count Me Out

Now that I''ve had the disc for a little over a week, repeated listens due endear the project! (Not that it needed much help to begin with.) The title track still drags a bit, though, and that final instrumental track is downright annoying. But when it comes to the recent rush of soul/R&B divas in the music industry, you can''t count Miki out!!!

After a long absence from the music scene, Miki Howard returns with a ambitious but uneven release. Her soul skills are as sharp as ever; "I Love Every Little Thing About You," a duet with Terence Trent D`Arby and featuring backing vocals by Chaka Khan, is a wonderful tune, and "Sunshine" has a wonderful jazz overtone soaring with a smooth hip-hop beat. "Something I`ve Never Had" is top-notch pop, and her distintive version of Janis Ian`s "At Seventeen" expands both the song`s and Miki`s horizons. In addition, "Summer" has a nice groove and "You Don`t Know What Love Is" is one of Miki`s finest jazz covers. However, "Three`s a Crowd" is a mediocre ballad, "Can`t Count Me Out" is a tepid piece (sadly, the only song Miki wrote alone), and "Get Over You" would have been a cool funk rocker except for the fact that the production never takes off like it should. And what`s with an instrumental version of the first tune closing out the album? Surely Miki could have found another tune or two and offered a longer set. Still, her voice is in top form and it`s nice to have her back.