Vanessa Williams the Real Thing Early Album Review

Vanessa Williams is one of the biggest names in all of entertainment. Besides being a multi-platinum recording artist, she is also a former Miss America and the she stars on the popular show Ugly Betty. It has been four years since Vanessa's last album Everlasting Love and now she is back with her new album The Real Thing. Will Vanessa be able to capture The Real Thing on her new album?

The album opens with Breathless. The song is heavy on the Spanish guitar as Vanessa gives a solid vocal performance. The song is okay but not one of the best tracks on the album.

Hello Like Before is a strong track which seems to capture some of the magic that made Robin Thicke a star with Lost Without You. The track works on many different levels and the string arrangement just adds that extra boost.

Loving You is more in the mold of big band era standards. The song sounds like it was just cut out of that era and transplanted into 2009.

Just Friends is not one of the stronger tracks on the album. The highlight of the song though is the chorus which makes the song avoids falling into the trap of being forgettable. The track features background vocals and production from Babyface.

The title track The Real Thing is in the same vein as Sergio Mendes and Brazil 66. The song works well as Vanessa's vocals easily soar above the Spanish influenced track.

Vanessa teams with Javier Colon on October Sky. The song is a slice of jazz heaven and will easily be a staple on adult contemporary R&B radio stations. Vanessa's vocal blends effortlessly with Javier's.

Lazy Afternoon shows off Vanessa's jazz vocal ability. Her vocal runs and rifts on the track blend perfectly with the minimalist production.

Come On Strong is another big band era song. The instrumentation found on the track along with Vanessa's vocal delivery and vocal phrasing, make the song a winner.

The album closes with If There Were No Song. The song is the perfect way to close out the album. Vanessa's vocal performance works extremely well with the more modern production.

Vanessa Williams shows that she is still relevant on The Real Thing. The album features a number of good songs and transforms her from the role of actress back to music hit-maker. Overall The Real Thing gets 8.5 out of 10. If you are a fan of Vanessa Williams make sure you pick up The Real Thing when it is available in stores on June 2^nd.