BRANDY “Humanâ€Â (Epic) Grade: B-plus
Considering Brandy’s rocky recent past, the sweet serenity and uplifting R&B anthems that fill her new album, “Human,â€Â are nothing short of stunning.
Although she doesn’t address the 2006 car accident that killed another driver on a Los Angeles freeway, Brandy is definitely a changed woman on her fourth album.
“These scars I’ve got, they’re a part of who I am,â€Â Brandy sings on “Camouflage.â€Â “Take me or not, but I finally understand. I’m so done trying to be everything you want.â€Â
“Camouflageâ€Â is a worthy cousin to Beyonce’s “Irreplaceableâ€Â that should share similar success, but it’s more about esteem-raising and self-improvement than a search for a sassy put-down.
It’s a feeling so ingrained in “Humanâ€Â that the silky R&B anthem “Warm It Up With Loveâ€Â isn’t just one of the album’s standout tracks, but its guiding principle.
With the help of producer Rodney Jerkins, Brandy radiates warmth and hopefulness throughout “Human,â€Â not in the naive way of someone who doesn’t know any better, but in the determined way of someone who does.
Her delivery on the up-tempo “Right Here (Departed)â€Â and the touching ballad “Long Distanceâ€Â reflects those choices. There’s no showing off with vocal acrobatics or flashy production, just a premium on the melody and the mood.
With “Human,â€Â Brandy has created an album of soulful solace that she seemed to need for herself. Then, she graciously shares it with the rest of us.
By Glen Gamboa / McClatchy Tribune