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Keke Wyatt arrives on the music scene to join the ranks of R&B female vocalists with some flair, but little hype.  Her voice does her justice, but the music she has to work with is less than what would make her a bona fide R&B diva.  Soul Sista possesses moments of poignant melody with Wyatt’s flexible vocal range and strong guest contributions.  However, the genuine sentiments, complex, unique music and depth are missing no matter how hard Wyatt works it.  The album is full of the usual, mundane R&B pieces, but beneath it all, Wyatt has more soul than is revealed. 

 

Every R&B songstress album practically requires a guy bashing, emotionally charged, female empowering song-drama; “Used to Love” is it.  The bouncy, up-tempo piece has ordinary beats, but Keke Wyatt starts off her debut by displaying her strong voice.  The third song featuring Avant is a slow, sultry track.  Avant does a nice job blending with Wyatt who sings with a higher, sweeter register than on her other tracks.  The gently, swaying flow enables the singers to play around with their melodies and emotional portrayal.  Avant also lends his abilities to “I Can’t Wait,” one of the best cuts of Soul Sista.  It possesses a fun, jagged, clapping rhythm to the pre-funk tune with Avant providing a smooth bridge in the middle amidst Wyatt’s repetitive melody.  “If Only You Knew” is a dulcet, charming ballad; Wyatt’s soulful voice floats like an angel in the chorus.  Despite the song’s appeal and Wyatt’s terrific, Diana Ross-like cries, it is marred with a synthesizer solo and generic R&B beats.  “Bad Boy” possesses more of an urban sound and Wyatt holds her own against the sharp beats for this clubbing track.  Again, it is more of the commonplace hip-hop, sounding very strangely familiar to so many other club-generic pieces, you would hurt your brain trying to recall what cut it sounded like.  Wyatt attempts to create something out of the typical brand of hip-hop with her vocal talent, but it is difficult to bring out emotions that are not inherent in the music. 

 

Keke Wyatt is like Gary Payton of the Seattle Sonics: a talented basketball player on a sub-par team.  Her vocals are sophisticated, have a wide range, and she experiments with different timbres to complement the music.  There is no doubt she possesses talent, but is unable to make her debut really shine.  Hopefully her follow-up album will have a more talented musician to compose so she can get the exposure she deserves.  Soul Sista has the soul from Wyatt, and is a likeable record.  Nevertheless, the material lacks substance, and that makes all the difference.