::ALBUM REVIEW::

With a resume’ reflecting musical assignments with artists as diverse as Jahiem, the Black Eyed Peas and George Duke, Terry Dexter is a singer filled with great promise since she bears a voice that best resembles the musical inflections of Brandy and Monica. She even released a R&B top 50 album self-titled album through Warner Bros., yielding the single Better Than Me, in 1999. Her work since then as been mostly limited to being a background session singer, but it is evident that her pipes and chops are meant to be out towards the front. She recently finished a duet with Eric Benet currently featured on his 2008 album release Love & Life. Now her moment of silence has come to a close after being signed to the indie-label Penny Gang’s Records (formed by former Olympic ski athlete Penny McCoy and industry vet Chris Bolden). And her latest project, Listen, shifts from the love-makin’ music of R&B to fluid inspirational subject matter that’s just right for today’s heavy load of problems. Somehow the lyrics goes beyond conventional gospel to reach into the various areas of social empowerment; almost giving off vibes of a modern replica’ of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On. The album walks through ten multi-dimensional tracks produced by a gauntlet of producers that contains names like Nisan Stewart, Jamey Jaz, Craig Brockman and Charlie “CSUN” Bereal. But Dexter stands out as one of the album’s primary songwriters - revealing even more groundbreaking skills from the R&B vocalist.

Dexter hits on a myriad of musical styles on Listen but collaterally lining up with modern soul and adult contemporary pop. But the majority of the offerings feel soulful and organic; focusing on live instrumentation, blazing harmonies and strong melodies. There’s the brilliant country guitar splashes and Rufus-styled funk injected in the “Love is Love;” a song focusing on the godly definition and color-blind characteristics of love. “I’m Free” leans on the familiar bass-clap rhythms of Ne-Yo’s “Do You” and easily blends the colorful worlds of sophisticated pop with bouncy R&B. “Beautiful One,” exceptionally delivered and penned, feels more gospel-oriented with its love-letter lyrics, passionate vocals and soulful instrumentation. Neo-soul and underground R&B icon Rahsaan Patterson co-writes and also lends his tenor to the background work. Digging deeper into personal conversations, Dexter focuses on the loss of her longtime songwriting partner and the departure of her twin sister to serve in the military overseas in “Be With Me.” The song, flavored with Stargate-like production, is a modest demonstration of cool rhythm-and-pop. The dreamy beats and melancholy lyrics, surrounding sweet guitar plunks and gentle harmonies, serve as a careful and promising track to the album. The soulful title track sounds more like a funky jazz R&B gem that plays into the in-your-face lounge style of Ledisi. “Peace Within,” a vulnerable and intimate offering only bolstering a piano and Dexter’s blessed pipes, should definitely appeal to secular and devout audiences. The struggle to rise above life’s situations and to find balance through the peace of God is a relatable, non-preachy message that should easily resonate with all mankind. And with the comforting acoustic background and Dexter’s amazing vocals, the track earns the kind of luster that measures up with intimate piano/vocal offerings like Donny Hathaway’s “A Song for You” or Thomas Whitfield’s “In Case You’ve Forgotten.” Then there’s the gospel energies of “Stay In My Corner,” the Lori Perri-penned “No Place to Go” (which tells a story through the eyes of the homeless) and the deep-bass grooves of the album opener “Crazy” that permeate the album’s manifesto of musical satisfaction.

There’s really no strikes that fall upon Listen, except for the relatable lack of gospel themes and sounds. Its careful, easy-listening soundtrack, filled with ample radio-friendly grooves and universal language, has all of the right elements for crossover; which probably was the primary intention from Dexter and her management. Adult contemporary, R&B, pop, CCM and even gospel radio can all benefit from this colorful collection. And with strong album releases filled with authentic expressions from Al Green, Raphael Saadiq, Jazmine Sullivan winning the praises from music critics hitting the shelves this quarter alone, you may want to add Terry Dexter to that comprehensive list of raw talent.