CD Review: Shareefa's "Point of No Return"

On her debut album, Point of No Return, 20-something diva Shareefa Cooper shows and proves that she's not just another disposable, here today/gone tomorrow R&B-Hip-Hop singer. As evident by her first single, "Need A Boss," 'Reefa is smokin.' Unfortunately like many young artists, her album's a little inconsistent - the songs range in quality from incredible to mediocre. But she displays enough vocal skill, songwriting ability and potential to make the album worth hearing.

The good news is that there are no genuinely bad songs on Point of No Return. Even the weaker material still has at least one element that's solid, whether it be vocals, songwriting or production.

The better news is that there are a few songs that are among the best urban music released this year. The aforementioned "Need A Boss" is the perfect showcase for Shareefa's bombastic, powerful voice (even though it's Ludacris' verse that actually puts the song over the top).

Another winner is the mid-tempo groove "Eye Wonder," in which 'Reefa bares her soul regarding calling it quits with a secret lover who she's seeing behind her man's back. Although both the production and vocals are above average, the song's strongest point is its lyrics, which like many songs on the album, are intelligent, insightful and deeply personal.

But perhaps the most surprising song on the album is the old-school Soul duet, "Hey Babe (Give Me Ya Lovin')," which features not only one of Shareefa's best vocal performances on the album, but also a vocal performance by Bobby Valentino that's so strong, you'll wonder why he never sang this well in the past.

But although there's quite a bit of good material on Point of No Return, there's also some songs that had potential that was never fully realized. The album's second single, "Cry No More," which is about getting over an ex-lover and moving on with one's life, has its emotional impact lessened by the cold, mechanized beat utilized on the song.

And another potential hit, "Phony," a diatribe about a backstabbing "friend," is schizophrenic; it's got angry, bitter lyrics, but they're laced over a feel-good, uptempo backing track. And there are other songs as well where the production doesn't mesh completely with the lyrics and/or vocals.

But other than that, this is an album rich with outstanding, substantive lyrics, mostly strong vocals, personality and style. There are some rough spots, both vocally and production-wise, but that's usually the case on most debut albums. If Shareefa can continue to improve, she could wind up being one of R&B's premiere singers in a few years. And as it is, she's off to a pretty good start.