There’s got to be a better way, India.Arie cries out in raspy
alto tones over Keb’ Mo’s blue-note moaning Dobro on “Better Way,” the
hardest-hitting track on her partially political new CD. Not only does
she take on the previous president for the war in the Middle East and
his handling of the great New Orleans flood, but she also risks a
backlash from the hardcore hip-hop crowd by daring to chide “children”
who glorify their bodies on TV and a “sweet buttered crawdad” who
imbibes codeine cough syrup. Although India doesn’t say his name, she’s
obviously talking about syrup-sipping New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne.
The sentiments of other political tunes seldom rise above
platitudes, such as the universality of ghettos and love being the
answer to hate. India’s romantic songs are similarly positive, yet
they’re in many ways superior to her political ones and are at times
quite delectable, particularly her chocolate and fruit metaphors in
duets with crooners Musiq Soulchild and Terrell Carter. Gospel, jazz,
and even Arabic flavors flow through some selections, and a guest list
that also includes Brooklyn hip-hop legend MC Lyte, Jamaican reggae
singer Gramps Morgan, Turkish pop queen Sezen Aksu, and Ivory Coast
vocalist Dobet Gnahoré brings further diversity to the
Denver-born singer-songwriter’s life-affirming music. (Universal
Republic)
