Regular Columnists

Artist: Brandon Hines
Album: "Love Music...Falling In- Falling Out"
CD Review: Genre: R&B
Sounds Like: Tyrese/Joe/Chris Brown
Technical Grade: 7
Production/Musicianship Grade: 7
Commercial Value: 7
Overall Talent Level: 9
Songwriting Skills: 8
Performance Skill: 9
Best Songs: We Need We, What Do I Have To Do?, Here I Am, Overdose (Remix)
Weakness: Dated production
CD Review: From Detroit, Michigan, comes Brandon Hines, a singer/songwriter and student of Howard University, who sent me an intriguing project for review that aptly showcases his vocal style, range, and power. Armed with an emotive tenor and a penchant for retro R&B, Brandon embarks on a mission to revive soul music as a genre and an art.

His best vocal performance comes on his most complete and commercial track, "We Need We," a song that starts with a powerful revelation..."This is serious, I think I love you more than me..." It finds Brandon singing melodically during the verses and employs a pre-chorus that's just as effective (if not more effective) than the chorus itself. The track is also engergized with a featured rap performance from Prafit that adds a punctuation mark to a song that should be used as an industry calling card.

Brandon's willingness to take chances is evident on "What Do I Have To Do," which is very skeletal in its production, but catchy in an unconventional way. Whether he's displaying his ability to alter his tone as in "Sex Message," or displaying his harmonizing skills on "Overdose," he captializes on each opportunity to highlight the nuances of his soulful, but contemporary voice...while positioning himself as a frantic romantic in the process, as demontrated on "Time To Let U Kno," featuring J-Freez, where he begs the ladies to stop calling him.

If you Love Music or if you are Falling In, or Falling Out of love, there's bound to be a song on this project that you can relate to.

Advice: Tighten up the vocal arrangements and create an industry "sampler" or EP containing 4 songs that concisely promote you as both a singer and songwriter. Also, as a project, the technical quality of the CD can be upgraded to enhance the low end.

Official Website: .www.myspace.com/bhineslovemusic