Perfect?

Keri Hilson is another protege from the empire of Timbaland stepping into the spotlight for her own release ‘In A Perfect World’ out on May 4th with a debut single ‘Return The Favor’ preceding it on general release this week. Fans of R ‘n’ B will not be disappointed with this latest release which remains faithful to the Timbaland formula of pristine yet bass heavy production and a concoction of relatively nimble raps and smooth yet sweet vocals. As a collection of songs it comes out all guns blazing with a suite of uptempo numbers featuring the usual roster of guest artists (Kanye West, Lil Wayne and of course wiki…wiki Timbaland himself).

It’s fairly strong material as well, but the saying “keep your powder dry” is one that you can readily apply to this collection. About half way in the album runs out of steam and a few obligatory syrupy ballads serve only to drag down an otherwise buoyant collection of songs. There are still the odd moments which can inspire interest in the listener (Intuition, How Does It Feel) and Hilsen has solid soul credentials in the vocal department. Overall though this is a pretty long album which is a definitely a bit sugary to take in one session.

R’n’B and pop heads should find this one suitable for their collection and if you are thirteen then I dare say there’s something in here that will will make for your next ringtone. Anyone else with an inkling of interest would do well to cherry pick from what’s on offer rather than commit to the whole album.