Elle Varner’s Perfectly Imperfect

If you have had a Pandora account and have utilized it for any extended period of time, you are probably aware of how you can create stations that are based on completely different artists or genres.  If you have listened to these stations for a while and shaped them with thumbs up and thumbs down, you have probably also experienced a point when some of the songs appear in multiple stations.  This point, at which your taste draws completely different musical bases to a common sound, is what I call a musical sweet spot.  The concept is epitomized by Elle Varner’s debut album, Perfectly Imperfect.  In this project, Elle sews together various sounds – including soft rock, folk, hip-hop, and traditional rhythm and blues flavors – holding them together with the consistency of the sweetest vocals. Here’s the skinny:

1)      Only Wanna Give It To You – This, for many, was the joint that introduced Ms. Varner.  It has an old school hip-hop sound, complete with a smooth bass line, scratching, and a simple break beat.  The sound, coupled with her “Like that y’all” near the end, makes you want to pop and lock a little.

2)      Refill – Track two is another banger.  The track opens with a country-esque fiddle that is quickly joined by what sounds like a three-piece drum set, and subtle bass line.  A xylophonic sound enters during the hook and hangs around for the remainder of the track.  This coupled with the adorable “conversational lush,” who is portrayed in the lyrics, is slightly addictive.

3)      Sound Proof Room – Sound Proof Room is just sexy.  I can’t think of a better word to describe this one.  It hearkens back to an era of rock before it became too metallic.  On top of that, lyrics about an overwhelming desire that requires the edifice of a sound proof room to be quenched make this song.

4)      I Don’t Care – This song isn’t bad.  It just has a Corrine Bailey Rae feel to it that I don’t feel is the best sound for Elle.  After hearing it once, I would skip it if the remote was in reach.

5)      Not Tonight – This was another track like #4.  It just sounds like something that I’d heard from someone else before.  Skip it.

6)      Leaf – Track #6 breaks the brief “skip it” streak.  The lyrics are a little sappy but the composition’s marriage of a light lead and bass with snaps, bells, etc. is kind of funky and makes it worth a listen.

7)      Oh What a Night – Oh What a Night is just a fun song with verses that march along until they burst loose with a reserved but lively hook. We even get a taste of Elle’s skills as an emcee.

8)      Stop the Clock – We get more strings in this track, but they are of the spooky variety that you expect to hear in select scenes of horror flicks (lol…). However, they are more than appropriate for a song about a woman who has reached her breaking point within a relationship.  It’s an interesting song, as not only the lyrics but the accompaniment sound crazy, literally.

9)      Welcome – Boring. Skip it.

10)  Damn Good Friends – A love repressed and unrequited that spills out over an acoustic guitar and strings.  This track is one of my favorites on the album and has me ready for an unplugged album or concert, already.

11)   So Fly – This is another fun one.  To some this may sound sexist; however, I found these lyrics about a woman, who alternates between picking apart her physique and consideration of alterations, funny.  At the end of the song, the artist reveals that she is more content with herself than the song may have initially led the listener to believe.

Overall, this is a good buy and well worth the wait.  Elle Varner is an awesome vocalist and the majority of the album showcases her talent.  There is something for almost every type of music fan.  Don’t bootleg it. Buy it!