Watley’s One-Note State of ‘Affairs’
JODY WATLEY “Affairs of the Heart”
MCA * * 1/2
Jody Watley is an old-school romantic who, for all her cutting-edge hipness, still believes in love of the “always and forever” variety. It’s a recurring theme in most of her albums, including this one. She frequently sings from the stance of one doing all the committing in a relationship, and while that may be a relevant point to express, its appeal as subject matter is starting to wear thin.
Watley sounds best when she begs a little less. “I Want You,” which she co-wrote with Andre Cymone, has a good amount of sexy spice, and “Dance to the Music” is excellent, although it would take dancers the caliber of the Fly Girls to get the most mileage from this energetic workout.
That her singing style veers toward the bland doesn’t matter so much when Watley gets adventurous and tries something new--for example, a tender gospel number like “It All Begins With You.” Her winning ways as an artist are numerous. It’s the focus of her music that needs more diversity.
New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).
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