Singer-songwriter Keyshia Cole’s fourth album, Calling All Hearts, has an all-star lineup of performers, including Faith Evans, Nicki Minaj, Timberland and Tank and production from J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Timberland, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and many more. Cole co-wrote all of the songs on the 11-track album, with the exception of “Better Me.”
The album opens with the up-tempo “I Ain’t Thru,” a song about Cole pushing forward and brushing off her critics, which features rapper Nicki Minaj on the second verse. “If I Fall in Love Again” contains a sample from the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Warning” and features singer Faith Evans. The song is a tribute to the late rapper, but Cole puts her stamp on it, expressing what she wants in love and life.
The changes in the piano beat on “Long Way Down” the album’s second single, matches the timing of Cole’s voice smoothly. The synthesizer backed track “Last Hangover,” which Timberland produced and added his own verse, gives Cole‘s voice a kind of echo, making it different than anything she has done previously. On “Take Me Away,” Cole outdoes herself in her ability to hold a note in key. The three best songs on the album by far are the collaboration with fellow recording artist Tank on “Tired of Doing Me,” “Take Me Away” and “If I Fall in Love Again.”
Calling All Hearts seems to be Cole’s most diverse album in terms of production style, going beyond simply R&B beats, compared to her previous albums. Also Cole’s voice has matured from her last album, and her vocals contain a lot less shouting. This is one album to definitely give a listen to.
–kadeem lundy
