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 Wanda Nero Butler screams and shouts her way through most of No Failure, her pretty intense new CD on Motor City Praise Records. Traditional Gospel enthusiasts as well as dance club goers will appreciate this wide variety of songs, which every now and then coincide with the beats and sounds we've come to love from contemporaries Kirk Franklin and Mary Mary.
Butler is best known as a stage actress, performing in a slew of productions over the years, including Evolution of the Blues, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Black Nativity, Why Good Girls Like Bad Boyz, and Angels in the House, among other plays and musicals. With such a dramatic voice-- the kind that could sing the phonebook and people would offer a standing ovation-- then it's no wonder and about time she offered music lovers an original CD to play in our houses, cars, workplaces, and churches.
Splitting her homebase between Detroit and Atlanta, Butler oftentimes has worked with and performed with other artists, like John P. Kee, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Vickie Winans, Angie Stone, The Clark Sisters, and Daryl Coley. In the black Gospel world, she's well respected and loved, but outside of that world, her name is not well known. Could No Failure change that? Possibly. A lot of her new material has crossover potential.
No Failure's strength lies in Butler's commanding, powerhouse vocals. Imagine if Mariah Carey really let loose vocally, and wasn't afraid to break a sweat, singing with fierce intensity on nearly every track of her CD-- that kind of sums up where Butler is, right now. She's the diva of divas-- the one other singers turn to when they need someone who can tear the roof off the joint, taking the lyrics to a whole 'notha level. If you appreciate Celine Dion and Patti LaBelle, then you'll go crazy over Wanda Nero Butler.
On No Failure, there are several stand-out joints, including “Deliver Me,” which is simple repetition, lyrically-speaking, but sung with such conviction that you'll find yourself singing right along and pleading with Butler for the Lord to set you free and deliver you from whatever ails you. “Deliver Me” is basic R&B/Gospel/Broadway music, but the anointing on this song makes it stand out, and one listen to it will probably make the hair on your arms stand up. If you liked Dreamgirls where the character Effie is singing, “And I Am Telling You, I'm Not Going,” then “Deliver Me” is a logical cousin of that song. Strangely, though, the song in all its pleading never builds to a grand crescendo and kind of just peters out at the end, rather quickly, leaving the listener saying, “did they forget to end this song properly?”
“So Good,” written by Marcus Devine, has a slinky beat that combines the grooves of Angie Stone and Gerald Levert's “Rain Down” and Mary Mary's “Shackles,” making for a thoroughly enjoyable song that'll find you shaking your shoulders to, and maybe even bobbing your head to the beat, too.
“Home,” features nice vocals by Marcus Devine, and a thick bass beat that'll put a smile on your face.
And, finally, the song “Time” will make you say, “I feel like I've heard this before,” since it's an R&B/almost smooth jazz, 2008 take on Cyndi Lauper's classic, “Time After Time.” It's done well, thankfully, with Butler getting a chance to show off her expansive vocal range, covering highs and lows complete with a sweet Spanish guitar solo in the middle and comforting back-up singers who sound as if they're giving you a big hug, letting you know they'll be there for you time after time.
Interestingly, Butler is going for an Old School flavor on this new release, so the back cover clearly states, “A few scratch sounds and skips have been added to this recording.” Frankly, they're a bit annoying, but you can't fault her and the producers for trying something different with No Failure.
Overall, this is a CD for anyone who loves a strong female singer who gives 110% on every track. For info, then, visit motorcitypraiserecords.com. |
