Kelly Rowland Brings Her A Game

It pleases me to say Kelly Rowland makes sizable progress towards stepping out of the shadow of mega star and Destiny's Child bandmate Beyonce with "Talk a Good Game", her fourth solo outing. The production values are mesmerizing across the board, her special guests (Wiz Khalifa and Pusha T) among them, do a bang up job of lending abiding street cred to the festivities, and Kelly's voice soars to remarkable new heights. Leading off with "Freak" was a prudent choice because it demonstrates the commitment Ms. Rowland brings to the dance portion of this spangly enterprise. Spacing out "everybody...is somebody's...freak" injects an embraceable aura of danger. "Kisses Down Low" aims for and obtains the unapologetic pelvis grind. Wiz Khalifa's presence in the middle of "Gone" establishes some gritty street science, specifically in casting out the girl with such a Hollywood spoiled attitude that she acts the Hollywood starlet role. "Street Life" lends a ready Jamaica flow to the goings-on in the hood. "You Changed" reminds us  why Destiny's Child swiftly ascended to superstar status in nothing flat. Clearly they've gotten amazing mileage from the we know each other so well we finish each other's sentences status. "Dirty Laundry" hits the mark as Rowland's much needed cosmic house cleaning. The background atmosphere is crackling with intensity. There's core agitation in the percussion's take no prisoners footsteps. Old school soul comes out to play for "Red Wine". Rowland lets the power in her vocals soar to the surface. Out of all these tracks "Stand In Front Of Me" is the most effervescent. Two souls swaying back and forth in a ballroom crowded with like-minded individuals. Kelly demonstrates a paramount level of respect for old school influences like Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross. Honestly you will be refreshed by the change-ups in tempo and style. There's no trace of settling on one sort of rhythm and then phoning in whatever effort is pieced together afterwards. "Freak" is an example of a track that screams world tour no splashiness spared production. "Stand In Front of Me" is looser in the joint and therefore will be very easy to groove to. "Kisses Down Low" comes complete with a transcendental aura that's deliciously deceptive. Nothing immaculate about that number. Dirty to the bone and worth the trouble. On the whole "Talk a Good Game" does far more than talk. It puts the entire gamut of both Rowland's range and artistic vision on full display. The results merit some serious head turning.