“Tasha Holiday’s CD “Just The Way You Like It” was named very correctly. Or, at least, her sound (along with all of the other cookie cutter R&B artists of the day) is JUST THE WAY the studio executives have decided YOU, the masses, LIKE IT. Now, don’t get me wrong, the CD was good, but so predictable. Maybe her face was picked out of a crowd to look pretty on the cover of the same CD that has been around for years. The lyrics were tired—the same old “I love you, I need you; you’re gone so I miss you; you’re here so let’s go to bed.”
Of course, it wasn’t all a rewind of last week’s number one. A few of the songs have redeemable qualities, like “So Real, So Right,” has real tight beats that make up for the unimaginative themes. I especially liked her short rendition of Sukiyaki that leads off the song “Don’t Go Away.” The heavy beat added a new and positive twist to this beloved classic. “Can’t Fight It” has an almost jazzy quality as the pretty harmonies and various octaves come together beautifully.
I wasn’t again impressed until the last song, entitled “This Love.” The song was, in my opinion, put together with thought.
Maybe I expect more out of Holiday than any of the other new faces in R&B out there. I mean, why shouldn’t I? She does share the last name of Billie Holiday, one of the original rhythm and blues geniuses. I hoped that Tasha Holiday wouldn’t fall into the tempting trap of music without art, lyrics without originality or soul. But alas, she does.
At any rate, on the traditional scale of 1-10, I give this a 6.75, very close to a 7. (1 being the record producer must have been blind, deaf and dumb. 10 being stop what you are doing, get up and run to the store now to pick up this piece of invaluble artistry.)
After all, as I said before, it was good. Just it’s something more for a radio favorite than for adding to your CD collection. If you do decide to buy it, remember its redeeming qualities: the beats, no matter how redundant, couldn’t have been better and a couple songs are well worth checking out.”
