My Everything
In an era of fast-food divas and ready-made starlets, finding the genuine article is often as hard as finding a needle in a haystack. Anita Baker could not have picked a better time for her return to music. After a decade-long hiatus, the soulful songstress returns with her eagerly anticipated Blue Note debut,My Everything.The 10-track disc doesn't disappoint. Lush, emotive, and gorgeous are a few words that come to mind when listening to the Toledo, OH native's album. Lead single "You're My Everything" opens the album with an infectiously smooth groove that reminiscent of her classics. The album also includes "You're My Everything Revisited," a jazzy interpolation of the aforementioned single.Kenneth "Babyface" Edmondsjoins Baker on "Like You Used to Do." The ballad, with its warm electric guitar-accented backdrop, evokes a classic R&B; sound without dating itself. Other standouts include "I Can't Sleep," and the heavenly "Close Your Eyes."If the album had any real flaws, it's that Baker's serene sound rarely wavers. Still, "My Everything" could serve as a tutorial to aspiring R&B; singers on what it means to deliver music with style, class, and true artistry. --Rashaun Hall