Search - Dawn Robinson :: Dawn

Trying to keep up with the times...badly

Scott Woods | Columbus, Ohio United States | 10/21/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"To say that this record was a disappointment would suggest that I thought it might be good and then, upon listening to it, that it failed to meet my expectations. Fortunately, I can say that this much is not true. Her interviews during the noticeably brief, quiet press junket she went on to promote this record always gave the impression that she had resigned herself to this record more than believed in it and after even just a casual listen you can understand why: it's utterly non-progressive, and with the state of R&B music today, that's not even close to being a good thing. The record sounds smooth and well-produced, but some of the vocal arrangements try to make her voice do the work of a trio or a quartet and it just ain't happenin'. That, and the music just doesn't go anywhere we haven't heard a hundred times just TODAY. Actually, I take that back: it goes everywhere. In what must be an attempt to keep up with the kids today (most of whom have stolen notes from En Vogue's journal) we are subjected to the Destiny's Child rip-off song (#10 How Long"), the Missy Elliot rip-off song (#3 "Party, Party"), the Aaliyah rip-off song (#8 "Fed Up"), the half-of-the-already-wack-radio rip-off song (#5 "Envious" and #12 "You Will Never") and the I-don't-need-En Vogue rip-off song (which I guess makes it another Destiny's Child rip-off song; #6 "Meaning of a Woman"). The record starts off promising with the first track, but then veers into questionable territory soon after.#7 - "I Don't Know Why" - saves this record from a pure 1 star (read my 2 stars as 1 and a half)."

A Treat Worth Waiting For

Tourmaline | ATL | 02/19/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've been waiting for a solo album from Dawn Robinson for a couple of years now. Though she has been involved with groups of talented singers, her vocals have always seemed to stand out from the rest. This album's release took a lot longer than I initially hoped it would, but it was worth the wait. My personal favorites are Set It Off(an instant favorite that will command repeated listens), Still(a tight rock-type track), Don't Give Up and Read It In Your Eyes. Those fans of Dawn's work with EnVogue and Lucy Pearl will pleased with this album because it is a combination of the two styles of music. But Dawn Robinson's sassy vocals and commanding style are what make this album distinct. I recommend this album and hopefully, you will enjoy it as much as I do."

Set It Off for Dawn

Tourmaline | 02/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was almost afraid of buying Dawn's new CD when I first heard Envious until I realized that whenever I buy a CD, there will always be at least one song I may not care much for. I also realized that this is Dawn Robinson's album. She has that hipnotic vocals I love listening to over and over again. All I can say is that this new music of Dawn was worth purchasing. The first song "Set It Off" definitely set this album off. It was hard for me to listen pass this song because I could not get enough this smooth flowing track. The rest of this album pass the first track flowed really smoothly. Every tracks fell into place where you did not skip the rest of the tracks after hearing a few seconds. Another addictive track on this album is "Get Up Again" which is more about encouraging one self much like Aaliyah's "Try Again" but with softer beats. Another track I love is "You Will Never" with a surprising ad lib which came to no surprise from Dawn. You gotta love her. This album has the potential to explode into the music scene like Alicia Keys album. With the right promoting effort, this album should do really well."