The “Neo Soul” label has been slapped on several dozen new artists over the past few years, undoubtedly by members of the media looking to recapture the combination of musical greatness and social message of many of the great soul artists of early 70s. Where the Motown music factory turned out the most infectious, melodic pop/soul music ever, its slow demise in the 70s coincided with the arrival of the great generation of soul singer-songwriters, led by Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway and Curtis Mayfield. While that great mini-era itself faded as disco rose to prominence in the last half of that decade, it has been remembered as a time when important social issues such as poverty, race, gender and ecology were addressed in an intelligent manner, and with an idealism in the possibility of change that has been missing from popular music for two decades. In fact, it is generally impossible to reconcile the messages of concern and hope found in 1972 to the despair and “culture of death” that has pervaded popular music, particularly in the last decade.

In that light, it is tough to label a singer such as, say, D’Angelo, as a successor to those great artists of the early 70s. He’s a good songwriter and singer, but he’s delivering a different package. I'm much more comfortable labeling India.Arie as a true “Neo Soul” artist, even if that is more regarding the spirit of her music than the 70s groove (which is better replicated by others such as Calvin Richardson or Angie Stone). For an artist who wasn't even born then, India.Arie is delivering a message that could have been delivered thirty years ago. Her consistent themes of self-love and brotherhood as a key to a better life still ring true in 2004.

Born in Colorado but transplanted to Atlanta as a teenager. India.Arie played a number of instruments before focusing on her acoustic guitar. She drew inspiration from soul artists such as Wonder and Hathaway, but also from popular singer-songwriters James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt. After scoring a second stage spot at Sarah McLachlan’s Lillith Fair, she was spotted by Motown CEO Kedar Massenberg and signed in 1999 to record her debut album. She tested the Motown brass’s patience by taking two years to record Acoustic Soul, and tested radio programmers by creating a sound that didn’t match the “flavor of the week,” but drew on classic soul, hip-hop, and a surprising amount of pop/folk in creating an ultimate product that bounced between introspective acoustic ballads and bouncy pop/soul, and which openly acknowledged her debt to Wonder, Hathaway and others.

The initial buzz of the album took it high on the charts quickly, but it faded relatively soon. It wasn’t until the lead single, “Video,” a song about the importance of inner beauty and self-confidence, began its slow rise on the charts, that India.Arie reached the broad public consciousness. This was enhanced by a surprise 7 Grammy nominations. Acoustic Soul ended up a surprise platinum hit, appealing to both young listeners and lovers of classic soul and folk.

The success of Acoustic Soul created great anticipation for Arie’s next album, 2002's Voyage to India . Voyage, led off by the first single, “Little Things,” (a nifty updating of Rufus’s “ Hollywood ”), bore many resemblances to its predecessor, but was a quieter, more introspective album. It was a slightly less commercial and critical success than Acoustic Soul, but was still an enjoyable, solid disc. 

As with her earlier work, Voyage showed that Arie is most engaging on upbeat material (such as on "Little Things" and "Slow Down") and when she uses her voice as one of many tools (rather than as the sole focus) in interpreting her material. It avoided a significant sophomore slump, and continued hope that India.Arie will be an important artist in soul music for years to come.

Credit: soultracks.com