The album begins with a haunting intro called "So Much To Say" in which Tweet describes a time when she wanted to commit suicide. It sets the tone quite well for the next song. "My Place" has smooth vocals and mildly suggestive lyrics. However, Tweet's vocal style makes the song sound sweet and not at all trite. "Smoking Cigarettes" is about a boyfriend who left or is cheating on Tweet (I'm not too clear on which one it is) and how she smokes to deal with her pain. Although it has great vocals, this is not one of my favourite songs especially when Tweet lists brands of cigarettes. Up next is "Best Friend" featuring Bilal, which talks about best friends of opposite genders who fall in love with each other. The two compliment each other really well except for one part towards the end where they seem to be straining a little. Also, when Bilal uses his falsetto, it does not fit with the song very well.
"Always Will", Tweet once said in an interview, was about a relationship she had that lasted for eight years. This is one of the album highlights, with great background guitars and sweet vocals. The only real downside are the lyrics to the chorus ("We could be on separate planets Mars and Venus, heart to heart no spaces between us"). Otherwise, it is beautiful. "Boogie Tonight" is about as different as you can get stylistically. We go from a beautiful ballad to an upbeat dance track. The style suits Tweet well, even though the song is almost disco-styled. There is an odd voice saying, "move your hips side to side" however it is a nice change from all the slow tracks. After that is the infamous "Oops (Oh My)" which features Missy Elliot. Despite the subject matter, this song is catchy although the beat sounds incredibly similar to the previous track. Nonetheless, it is a great song and one that got Tweet a lot of attention. "Make UR Move" does not meet expectations set by the previous three tracks. With lyrics like "tell me what your name is, damn you should be famous", this song just pales in comparison to the rest of the album.
On the bright side, the four songs that follow are four of the album's finest. "Motel" showcases great acoustic guitar as well as soft but genuinely bitter vocals. "Beautiful" proves to be just that. Featuring exquisite backing pianos and of course, Tweet's mellow vocal style, the song describes how Tweet finds her man beautiful. Once in a while, the background vocals get on my nerves however for the most part they are not bad. "Complain" is definitely my favourite song on this album. Upon hearing the title, I figured it would be either a song about a man who has an opinion to share about everything or else another smoothly angry song similar to "Motel". Instead, what we have is a simply stunning ballad about how if Tweet had her man back, she would not complain about the bad times. In particular, I love the way Tweet sings "come back to me" during the short (but excellent) musical break. Tweet sings over a background of subdued acoustic guitars although towards the peak of the song, the guitars become less subdued. "Heaven" showcases even more mellow yet meaningful vocals. Lyrically, it is just as great as "Complain" It talks about how leaving her man felt like Heaven because of the way he treated her.
Unfortunately, those last four songs were the last real highlights on the album. "Call Me" is an upbeat number, much in the same vain as "Oops" though not nearly as well done. Vocally, Tweet does not disappoint however the beat seems too similar to "Oops" to really be all that memorable. Catchy as this song is, it does little to add to the album. "Drunk" has droning, almost slurred background music and quieter vocals, generally making the listener sleepy instead of allowing them to really focus on the song. Tweet's voice sounds a little more high-pitched then usual, which does not suit her. After that is the "Southern Hummingbird Outro" which is basically an opportunity for Tweet to thank people. Lastly, there is "Oops Part 2" with Ms. Jade and Timbaland (my version of the album did not have the other bonus track) which was a poor way to end the album. Tweet is hardly on the track at all, and the song as a whole was quite boring.
Overall Mark: 4/5
Although there are a couple of rocky moments ("Drunk", "Make UR Move"), the album as a whole is a stunning, soulful R&B album that showcases both Tweet's songwriting and vocal abilities. Tweet does her best when backed by a single instrument (piano or guitar usually) as opposed to heavy beats or when there is not an abundance of background vocals. Instead, tracks that truly allow Tweet to shine ("Complain", "Always Will") are the ones where you can really focus on her vocals and lyrics instead of solely on the background music. Though I wouldn't necessarily pick Tweet over other R&B singers (Brandy, Monica, etc.), probably because I'm a fan of many of them, she is definitely someone I want hear more from in the future.
Lyrics contained within GoldLyrics.com subject to US Copyright Laws and are the property of their respective authors, artists and labels. If you like the lyrics, GoldLyrics.com encourages you to buy the CDs of the albums and whenever possible, GoldLyrics.com gives a link, where you can buy the album.
