Elisabeth Withers - "It Can Happen to Anyone"

After listening to just a couple of songs on Elisabeth Withers' debut release, It Can Happen to Anyone, it's clear that she's the real deal. Withers has it all - a rich tone to her voice, the ability to convey emotion, and perhaps most importantly, vocal power. Her voice is strong and clear, and so's the album. Although her mature, sophisticated style of R&B will probably appeal most to those members of the over-30 crowd, her messages of love, joy, fun and desire are universal themes that anyone can relate to.

When some artists release their debut albums, it's apparent that the artist is a work-in-progress and they will likely go through an evolutionary process before they realize their full potential. Not so in Elisabeth Withers' case. On her debut album, It Can Happen to You, she arrives as a complete singer, a fully-mature, seasoned artist who already knows the ropes. For her, the future is now.

Withers' experience playing Shug Avery in the stage version of "The Color Purple" has definitely done her some good, because she definitely has no problem belting out tunes in a powerful, confident manner on her first album. From the album's first track, "Be With You," to its last, "Next To You," Withers shows and proves that she has what it takes as an artist. For those who haven't heard her yet, Withers' style owes a lot to seasoned R&B veterans like Gladys Knight and Dionne Warwick. In fact, on some of her album's ballads, she sounds so much like Gladys, it's uncanny.

But it's on the album's mid-to-uptempo songs where Withers really establishes herself as an artist and defines her vocal style. Particularly, the love song "Heartstrings," the girls' night out jam "Get Your Shoes On" and the funky title track that stand out due to very strong vocal performances.

Withers' brand of mature, sophisticated R&B may not be particularly marketable in the contemporary music world, but anyone who enjoys and appreciates artists like Patti Labelle, Gerald Levert and Natalie Cole would probably enjoy and appreciate It Can Happen to You.