Clear!

Toni Braxton is one of those artists that I'll always associate with my childhood. Though the deep-voiced Atlanta resident has been active since the early 90s, it was her mammoth second album Secrets and its subsequent singles that have been permanently seared into my brain. It may have been their ubiquity or it may have been sheer serendipity (it was around that time that I started getting really into music), but whenever I hear Unbreak My Heart or You're Makin' Me High, I can't help but be taken to a place that I had long forgotten about.

However, Braxton's career has been more hit-or-miss lately, as her past couple of albums have only been lukewarm successes with no breakout crossover single since the early 2000s. Call it radio ageism, call it an artist who doesn't know how to gracefully step aside, it's just a shame that someone of Toni Braxton's caliber isn't a steady presence on the charts.

Recently released Pulse is attempting to rectify this situation, though early numbers aren't the most encouraging for long term success. The album relies heavily on the ballads that Braxton has utilized to build her brand of sultry, heartfelt soul, though they're not as consistent as they probably could be. The end of the record seems to be where Braxton lets some appreciated vulnerability and musical maturity show, especially on album closer Why Won't You Love Me. Admirably sparse and admittedly a song that hits close to home, it's delicate and introspective, a self-aware ballad of amiable finger snaps and tender piano. I appreciate the personal touches in the lyricism and the progression in Toni's sound; she's always been a strong balladeer, but this ranks right up there with her best. After her last couple of records have tried to be more "hip", it's nice to see a truly classy listen from a premiere voice in the genre. Pulse is a touch more dramatic and, in some ways, cinematic in structure, though it never really goes overboard with the theatrics. With a full bodied string section and stormy production, it's more in the vein of past ballads than Won't, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Vocally, Braxton is impassioned and determined, reaching down in the lowest part of her register before obliterating the stirring bridge. No Way kind of treads the sonic line between the two previously mentioned tracks; it may be a relatively stripped acoustic-led ballad (those background vocals!) that is framed by Braxton's floaty vocal, but it has tinges of Let It Flow and wouldn't have sounded too out of place on Secrets or The Heat. It's just a fluttery, flat out pretty listen with a whimsical melody and enough emotion to keep you interested.

Woman may be the type of empowering anthem that is in Braxton's wheelhouse, but there's something about it that I can't seem to latch onto. A cover of the Delta Goodrem song from her American debut, this is just slightly derivative and limp (the melody is beyond flat), despite the inclusion of some more pop/rock elements. It may be some slight bias in favor of Goodrem's version (she sounds way more natural singing this), but Braxton's version is meh at best. I get what she was going for with the peppy Wardrobe but it just ends up sounding like a weak Jordin Sparks sound-a-like (seriously, listen to this and then One Step at a Time). It's slightly cute and possesses some attitude (it's got kind of a baby strut goin' on), but it's a little too young sounding to be believable. While it may not be a bad track per se, it just doesn't fit with Toni Braxton; she's too mature and experienced to be producing material that would be album filler for girls half her age. Speaking of tracks that are beneath her, we have current single Make My Heart, Braxton's attempt to take us to the clubs. This is honestly what I was afraid the record would sound like, a badly executed attempt to capitalize on the latest trends in the music industry. The little funk tinges are a nice touch, but it's too much like your aunt who used to be the baddest chick at the club trying to do the latest dances in front of you. I don't think people should make the same record over and over again, as that would get boring, but this not-very-catchy dance track sticks out like a sore thumb in Braxton's catalog and reeks of desperation.

Pulse isn't a bad album by any stretch. Toni sounds as good as she ever has and instead of trying to capitalize on the current musical industry trends (well, at least not too much, as she cut a few questionable tracks from the final product), she just sticks to what she does best. What stops Pulse from being a better album is that its lyricism is just stale and trends toward being cheesy. Braxton's voice has carried some mediocre songs to full on jam status (as well as her ear for a good melody), but there are times on here that it's too much to bear. In my case, I really wanted to like this album, but sans a handful of songs, Pulse lacks any sort of life.