Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Surprise
After hearing "Little Things" (a song that makes you go, of yeah) on the radio, I eagerly anticipated the entire "Voyage" CD. I can say I instantly liked "Talk to Her" (which is my favorite and "Slow Down". I agree that these songs may come across as preachy, but it's something that many of us may need to hear. So much of today's music doesn't have any message at all, so it's always good to hear a song that does. This is one of the things that I love about Ms. India's music. Surprisingly, it took me a while to decide what I actually thought of India's sophomore effort, especially given that I still listen to "Acoustic Soul" at least twice a week. The one thing that I truly like about this CD is that India is doing her own thing and doing it different than she did it before. I believe this is another showcase of her talent, a true artist (which we don't see many of these days). Now that I've listened to this several times I can say it is a "Beautiful Surpise" (which is also another great song on the CD). It's different from Acoustic, but a very welcomed addition to my CD collection.
Rating:  - Voyage to India
With the surprise double-platinum success of 2001's Acoustic Soul, India.Arie became that rare bird -- particularly in contemporary R&B -- who straddles the line between artistic innovation and schmaltz. Certainly a talented guitar-playing songstress, she also takes her lyrical cues from Hallmark cards, a mix at once comfortable and off-putting -- and difficult to put one's finger on.
This follow-up, seemingly rushed into stores, doesn't clear up the confusion; as with Alicia Keys, it's almost impossible to criticize a contemporary urban artist who writes life-affirming, organic songs, yet this journey ends as unconvincingly as Soul or Songs in A Minor. What's more, it lacks any sort of knockout number -- Soul had two, "Video" and "Brown Skin" -- leaving us to wonder just where Arie intended on taking us. Which is not to say that the potential isn't there, only that balance is not. Is she the younger visage of Tracy Chapman ("The One," "Power of Words")? Channeling Chaka Khan on two gleefully old school steppin' tracks, "Interested" and "Slow Down"? When she takes her own advice to "live for the moment," she gets better results: "Get it Together" is a swirling slam-dunk of a love song, and "Good Man," an overlooked track off the We Were Soldiers soundtrack, makes a nice fit here. When she comes off preachy, it's with treacly results: "God is Real" and "Little Things" are cloying bits of armchair philosophy. Voyage is at its most interesting, and often its best, when Arie tries to come from out of the shadows of her influences and chart her own path. Though she stumbles on "The Truth" trying to incorporate slicker R&B-style beats into the mix, the titular Spanish folk tinges of "Headed in the Right Direction" says it all, as does "India's Song," which could have been the album's most overwrought track but instead perfectly mixes Chapman's subdued introspection with Woody Guthrie's wide-eyed folk. These are the tracks suggest the voyage isn't over; it may have only just begun.
Rating: - KNOCK OUT MUSICAL EXPERIENCE!
My Voyage To India was a delightful excursion. I'm grateful that all I have to do is play the cd to take the trip. I've Voyaged To India numerous times since I've acquired this cd and just can not get enough of this mind, body, and soul candy.The songs on this cd are beautifully arranged and performed flawlessly. Alot of the lyrics are pure poetry; expressing love, exhortation, positivity, and all the things that would make us better people to humanity, ourselves, and loved ones. The vocals and music showcased on this stellar project are warm and enchanting. "The Truth" is my absoulte favorite track with its haunting background vocals and its acoustic spanish motiff. "Little Things" is tight and has that "All That I Can Say" by Mary J. music flavor. "The One" is a catchy tune that will have you singin' "Laa Laa Laa Lalalala". "Interested" has a nice groove that gets the neck to moving and foot stomping. I could review every song on here, but that would take too long so do yourself a favor and comp this JEWEL. Good music like this is hard to come by and the voyage is worth it.
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