Elle Varner has a beautifully soulful voice, almost surprisingly packing an incredible amount of power in her petite frame. Add to that her outstanding wit and an impeccable way with words, and you have one of the bright spots in R & B today. Over a year ago she released her debut single, “Only Wanna Give It To You,” which featured J. Cole right as he was really beginning to shine. Now, the young lady who was once voted “most likely to get signed” and “most likely to win a Grammy” at NYU’s Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music program, gets to release her Perfectly Imperfect album debut.
The Perfectly Imperfect album reveals multiple sides of the young starlet, giving fans her a bit of a look into her heart and soul. It was her infectious hit, “Refill,” which helped her secure a release date under RCA Records, but the album features several hits that will surely impress listeners. Her metaphors are reminiscent to early Alicia Keys material while her voice and the production (most of which is done by producers Pop & Oak) bring flashbacks of Joss Stone.
It’s the song concepts which help set her apart though, much like she was able to do on her mixtape Conversational Lush, Varner talks about a lot of things women wouldn’t touch on a public forum, much less a debut album. “So Fly,” “Sound Proof Room” and “Leaf” are great examples of her ability to play with words, but it’s “Not Tonight” that stands out to me as the standout among many top options.
Perfectly Imperfect features only 11 tracks, leaving the listener longing for more. It’s an impeccable first move for Elle Varner’s career and may be a sign of the changing of dominance in the female R & B ranks.
Perfectly Imperfect receives a PARL
Also Check Out:
Elle Varner – Conversational Lush mixtape download
Pop & Oak – Get Familiar With The Production Duo
Vaughn Anthony: Stepping Into the Spotlight
K. Michelle – Perseverance Is Key
X/Coke – Cheri Coke & Melo X album review