Turn Me Loose

Following LOST & FOUND, an album that earned Ledisi a pair of Grammy nominations, TURN ME LOOSE partially roots itself in the singer's past work and otherwise branches out from it. The album's title, as well as its cover, indicates a new, brash direction--one that makes up only a portion of the set. Throughout the opening "Runnin," "Knockin'," and stretches of a couple other songs--not to mention a charging, howling cover of Buddy Miles' "Them Changes"--Ledisi and her band deliver rocking funk that cooks as hot as Labelle's "Messin' with My Mind" and "What Can I Do for You," or anything by Van Hunt. Here, Ledisi wails and belts with a kind of power previously untapped--in recorded form, at least--all the while maintaining remarkable finesse. "I Need Love," one of the collaborations with Ivan Barias and Carvin Haggins, is another highlight, seductively melancholy over a slick and slippery rhythm, while the title track's bluesy Southern soul backdrop seems just as ideal for Ledisi's voice. Verve Forecast might be a little sheepish about their artist straying from the style that brought them success; on the sticker affixed to the album, the label singles out three songs, none of which break a sweat. It would bid them well to help expose her versatility as much as possible.