Label: Dredlix
Media: CD
Format: Album
WorkNameSort: Arrival
Upon hearing Rosie Gaines' wonderfully flexible voice on "Arrival" captures the best assets of Chaka, Aretha and Patti, I felt like I had discovered a treasure map and that the X-spot is actually housed in a vault of gold. The former member of Prince's New Power Generation band and one-time Paisley Park and Motown signee is a stellar self-producer, taking a hands-on approach to every aspect regarding her music -- including playing all instruments, singing and engineering.
If you can sit still during "Stomp," you're dead. The upbeat funk/dance title track takes no prisoners with its Tina Turner-style jolt of attitude. "Want an Angel," a beautiful crying prayer of a loving single mother, actually brings tears, if you're not careful. Flaws? Yes, there are a few. But the well-traveled Rosie Gaines has emerged with a treasure chest of emotionally charged electric funk and soul.
