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*** Monica
MISS THANG
(Rowdy/Arista)
Monica may be 14 years old, but
she can sing from down deep inside and sounds credible doing so. Thanks to the
lower-register song arrangements done by Dallas Austin and the rest of his
Darp, Inc. production team, she never sounds freakishly adult even when, as in
"Like This and like That," she talks about "wanting you" and "belonging to
someone." Because Monica's tone is a full-bodied alto it makes sense for her
style to be workbench careful; slang phrases, as she sings them roundly, lose
their evil connotations. The deep sonority of rhythms like "Get Down" and "Miss
Thang" slide into place alongside her, blending notes and conjuring harmonies
almost too natural to trust. Even intimate songs like "With You" work. Austin's
melodic tenderness saves Monica from having to sound synthetically cute or
gluttonously sentimental. Forget Brandy and
Adina Howard; buy Monica instead.
-- Michael Freedberg
Copyright © 1995 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group. All rights reserved.