Product Description

Debut album from India.Arie who has been compared to ErykahBadu and Jill Scott. Melodic R&B and soul with influences of roots, blues and hip hop. Includes her debut single 'Video' and the follow up 'Brown Skin'.

Track Listing

1. Intro (India.Arie/Acoustic Soul)
2. Video
3. Promises
4. Brown Skin
5. Strength Courage & Wisdom
6. Nature
7. Back To The Middle
8. Ready For Love
9. Interlude (India.Arie/Acoustic Soul)
10. Always In My Head
11. I See God In You
12. Simple
13. Part Of My Life
14. Beautiful
15. Outro (India.Arie/Acoustic Soul)
16. Wonderful
17. Strength Courage & Wisdom
18. Video

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6037 in Music
• Released on: 2001-10-22
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Running time: 71 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
India.Arie's Acoustic Soul is just as advertised: grooving soul music with an acoustic bent. Arie herself plays guitar, supplemented by strings (instead of synthesizers) and drums (instead of drum machines). The first single, "Video", is a calm, confident ode to self-love, comparing the dreadlocked, petite Arie to the average girl in a video. Arie is indeed anything but average: her debut marks the auspicious return of the black female singer-songwriter, in the vein of Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Tracy Chapman and Dionne Farris. If you like their music, with thoughtful lyrics and layers of instrumentation, you'll love this album. "Video" is fabulous, but other high points include "Ready for Love", a lament that smoulders before slowly building to a crescendo, with tinkling piano, guitar and cello swelling beneath the vocal. "Strength, Courage And Wisdom" is an optimistic anthem that'll have you clapping your hands and swaying from side to side, and the best track on the album, "Simple", is a straightforward love song with a pulsating beat. Acoustic Soul may not be full of radio-friendly tracks, but every track is strong, and the disc improves each time you press play. --Courtney Kemp

Customer Reviews

Unforgettable
This album is one of my all time favourites because it honest and also just plain pleasant to listen to. It clearly comes from the soul there is nothing manufactured or contrived about her music so you really relate to it in a powerful way. In a world of "Big pimpin'" and "Bling" it is such a breath of fresh air to hear an artist not being afraid to be herself and ask timeless questions (In Part of my life")or the epiphanous moment that the soul feels when it comes of age and suddenly finds "Strength, Courage and Wisdom....which is inside of all along".

I loved her celebration of Stevie the Wonder and clearly he has been a great influence to her music. Apart from one or 2 tracks I find it hard to fault this piece of work it is harmonious and inspirational!!!. Highly recommend it!

Soulful and poetic
I've had this CD for several years now and still listen to it quite often. Its soulfulness is mesmerizing, and the songs reflect a strong spirit that I find refreshing. This artist is comfortable in her own skin and encourages us all to be the same. I found the songs "Beautiful" "Video" "Brown Skin" "Promises" and "Ready for Love" especially heartfelt and inspiring.

I get a lift every time I listen to this one, and you will too.

From the author of The Difference Now.

A very unique and different R&B record.
I wouldn't really call this album "acoustic" it's more perfect Stevie Wonder style R&B mixed with an acoustic tone. The album came out at the right time, just when young talented singer-song writers were lacking. India.Arie came out with her daringly different debut single and album.
Just from "Intro", "Interlude" and "Outro" you can tell there's something special here: a simple acoustic melody with a mellow honest voice that's ever so blissful to hear.

Her first single, "Video" is a daringly different R&B ode to self-love, which maintains calmness and confidence. A very special and inspirational uplifting classic that incorporates some high-thinking and daring lyrics.

"Don't want your silicon/I prefer my own"

"Brown Skin" has a harder beat and is also very experimental/different. It reminds me of hot chocolate dripping. "Strength, Courage & Wisdom" displays a God-ly India, and has a humble message, which though not said is about Jesus. "Nature" with its irresistible melody and instruments also includes a message about God, and is very logical and philosophical.

Though the record does at times fall into mediocrity on "Always In My Head" (even with her amazing vocals in the chorus), "I See God In You" (even with its rhyming poetry) and "Part Of My Life" (all three have good themes, lyrics and music). It bounces back with songs like the mellow, honest and real "Ready 4 Love". You can feel India's emotions and frustrations and desires. "Promises" and "Back To The Middle" with their unique character examples. And off-course the Stevie Wonder dedication, I'm kind of surprised she didn't use an excerpt of the bridge on "Pastime Paradise" like fellow Motown/Neo-Soul artist Erykah Badu. Guess both of them are originals.

With this credible and unique debut, India.Arie will always be one of my favorite artists, also partly because she is humble, calm and honest. She is a high-thinker, godly and spiritual but doesn't comprise that pride. Though India.Arie has been recognized for her talent, she still is overlooked. Because she is about the entire album and not radio airplay, it will take time for new fans to discover the absolute brilliance of this musical mind.

Her song "Video" should have been rewarded a Grammy for "Record of the Year" and the album was also robbed of "Album of the Year".