Mariah Carey Connection

Rating: 8/10 

With Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel Mariah Carey has made an old fashioned sliding album. Sweet love songs for romantic evenings. Carey provides the additional moaning, though less than before.

In the 90 Carey was hugely successful, but early this century, the diva’s creativity & commercial  appeal waned with the albums Glitter and Charmbracelet. A few years later she was on form again with the very solid The Emancipation Of Mimi and E=MC2.

Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel style is characterized by a slight style break compared to the previous two albums. This album is very laid back and Carey recreates some of the hit albums Music Box, Daydream and Butterfly. Even the packaging of the CD contains references to earlier albums. Carey emulate’s sleeve pictures from the 90’s. Smart business move is the mini magazine that Elle made for the album, with short articles, advertisements and lyrics.

Typical
Since 1995’s Daydream, Mariah Carey makes clever use of samples. On latest release Mimi processed old songs of Cyndi Lauper, DeBarge (with a beat from The Notorious B.I.G.), Ahmad and Barry White to typical Carey songs.

Also characteristic to Mariah Carey albums in the 90’ s, where the power ballads. Earlier the singer used The Jackson 5 (I’ll Be There), Journey (Open Arms) and Bad Finger (Without You). This time is Foreigner’s turn, the often-covered “I Want To Know What Love Is.

Middle
Hitmakers The-Dream and Tricky Stewart signed for most of the production and as main co-authors. They know how to bring a nice balance to classic Carey and the Mariah of the 21st century. The use of Prologue, preludes, interludes and reprises initially seem as excessive as the bonus remixes of the single Obsessed. Eventually you realise that they contribute to the album & make “Memoirs” sound as a real unit.

Slow Jams
After the annoying opening track followed by strong numbers as H.A.T.E.U, Ribbon, It’s A Wrap and Up Out My Face (with nice reprise). The crappy ballad album Charmbracelet of 2002 pales to this iron strength return of slow jams. 

It is one of the best albums of her twenty year career. Mariah is in top form on Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel, a nice gooey R&B album with no rappers.

The album is available from all good record stores and any of the below:

CD Album:  Free Record Shop | Music Store | Kroese Online | Van Leest
Digital Album: iTunes

Source: Ilse Media Group | Translation - Mariah Connection & Valerie