Ledisi - The Truth
  • Lyrics
  • Sound
  • Worth Listening
4.4

Ledisi has carved a nice little groove for herself in the R&B world, and with The Truth, her latest release, she continues her trend of real R&B with real soul.

All too often R&B records are over-produced and jam-packed with so many guest vocalists that the album loses its identity, and the artist’s voice — that is, her signature — is lost in the hustle. It’s the old “too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the soup” mantra. Thankfully, Ledisi heeds this age-old advice and goes at this one alone. The Truth is Ledisi, pure and simple.

And that’s not a bad thing at all. Ledisi has fantastic delivery, and admirably lifts various styles from the R&B of yesteryear, applying them to her own talents. The result is an album that fits a variety of moods. There are slowed down jams you can dance to in your car or at the bar. A lack of over-sexed lyrics means The Truth can be played while the kids are still awake, but it’s sensual enough to put on in the background during an evening make-out session on the couch. And finally, Ledisi’s fondness for ‘70s-era soul but awareness of contemporary sound allows for a multi-generational fan base, something nearly every musician hopes to achieve.

It’s certainly a gamble to put out a record with no guest artists nowadays, but Ledisi seems to be firmly set in creating music that is true to her identity. And really, putting one’s heart and soul into one’s art is the truest path to success. Sure, the sales might not skyrocket the way they would if she included a handful of contemporaries, but do you really want to hear Iggy Azalea or Rick Ross try to rhyme over Ledisi’s groove? Didn’t think so!