(April 5, 2019) List the great singers of the past half century, and you'll hit the name Dionne Warwick pretty early in the queue. Her classic 60s hits with Burt Bacharach and Hal David are still revered today, and she had a strong second act in the 80s with a string of smashes on the Arista label. Ms. Warwick returns on May 10 with the new album She's Back, a mix of original songs and covers that is highly anticipated by her fans.
For the second advance single from the album, she teams with talented soul man Musiq Soulchild for a cover of one of the great soul music ballads of the 80s, the wonderful Atlantic Starr classic, "Am I Dreaming."
(April 5, 2019) List the great singers of the past half century, and you'll hit the name Dionne Warwick pretty early in the queue. Her classic 60s hits with Burt Bacharach and Hal David are still revered today, and she had a strong second act in the 80s with a string of smashes on the Arista label. Ms. Warwick returns on May 10 with the new album She's Back, a mix of original songs and covers that is highly anticipated by her fans.
For the second advance single from the album, she teams with talented soul man Musiq Soulchild for a cover of one of the great soul music ballads of the 80s, the wonderful Atlantic Starr classic, "Am I Dreaming."
The raw material for this cut is a personal favorite, and Musiq leads it off in fine fashion, his nimble voice flowing from lower register to falsetto beautifully. On the subsequent verse, Ms. Warwick struggles at the the upper end of her range, and the song's cool opening ultimately drags with time into something less compelling than hoped for.
It's always great to hear both of these artists, but this song isn't the best showcase. I'm hoping that She's Back is a winner for an all-time great artist. But, for now, "Am I Dreaming" is a competent cut that doesn't match the talent of its individual components. Mildly Recommended.
By Chris Rizik
Dionne Warwick and Musiq Soulchild
"Am I Dreaming"