Chante Moore - Love the Woman (2008)

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    Pretty, principled and blessed with pipes of an angel, Chante Moore has regaled her fans with sweet and sincere expressions of love and loss over her multi-faceted 16 year career. Unlike many of today's songstresses, Ms. Moore has relied on the sheer strength of her range without screeching, caterwauling or relying on dumbed-down material with the producer du jour to maintain her standing or crossover. Her latest CD, following 2000's Exposed and a pair of husband/wife collaborations with husband and fellow artist Kenny Lattimore, is her first solo release on the Peak Records label and offers up some satisfying, if not quite spectacular, grown folks' soul.

    Pretty, principled and blessed with pipes of an angel, Chante Moore has regaled her fans with sweet and sincere expressions of love and loss over her multi-faceted 16 year career. Unlike many of today's songstresses, Ms. Moore has relied on the sheer strength of her range without screeching, caterwauling or relying on dumbed-down material with the producer du jour to maintain her standing or crossover. Her latest CD, following 2000's Exposed and a pair of husband/wife collaborations with husband and fellow artist Kenny Lattimore, is her first solo release on the Peak Records label and offers up some satisfying, if not quite spectacular, grown folks' soul.

    One has to grow as a person and an performer to remain successful, and it's obvious from track one that Ms. Moore's accomplished both, since she's picked some of the most seasoned collaborators to anchor her music with (the inimitable George Duke, Raphael Saadiq and Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell). No longer dewy-eyed and building air castles about happily ever, she challenges anyone going through the post-honeymoon phase to hang in there on the surprisingly upbeat "Always Gonna Be Something:" "You had a hard day at work, she's had a hard day too/and now you both have an attitude. But just remember that you both love each other very much/so go 'head and make up."  The flipside, "It Ain't Supposed to Be This Way," tenderly seeks closure and communication after a rough patch, and she even sings the praises of women---with or without a man---in the breezy faith and fortitude-praising track, "Special."  

    The second half of the disc becomes a letdown, as it lacks the texture and the conviction of the first. Ms. Moore does her best, adding sweet and sultry flavor to the boudoir-ready title track, then expounding on the importance of demonstrating, as well as expressing, one's devotion to their mate in impassioned "Love Action." But the tracks dawdle along and become practically indistinguishable as one slow jam bleeds into the next, which doesn't allow Ms. Moore the full use of her gifts. If the songs had been better sequenced, or if a few of the last numbers had been infused with more percussion and energy, it would've made a difference. But as it is, Chante does her best and usually succeeds with Love..., although it doesn't at times return the favor.

    By Melody Charles