Divinity Roxx
ImPossible
(iRoxx)
Divinity Roxx has played for President Obama, Oprah, Ellen, and on the MTV Video Music Awards, but is probably best known as bassist and musical director for Beyonce. Her new, 12-song ImPossible album begins with the slow, sexy groove, from Divinity’s talking-like bass and Babl Lemmens’ Rhodes piano on the biographical opener here, “Miracle.â€Â “Stinger†is just that, a real stinger, with hot bass walking from this queen bee, a great singable, pop chorus, kinetic rapping vocals, and wonderful drumming, as he manages throughout here, from Lamar “LA” Moore. Julian Litwack’s clean guitar leading in the bridge is just about perfect. The groovin’, sassy, female vibe of “Whacha Doin Where U at Who U Wit” simply kills; it might be the best tune here. It has stand-up ‘tude in the semi-rap vocals, Prince-like choruses and Moore, Litwack and Lemmens in the pocket with Roxx lifting the song to the stratosphere. Some added horns here are unexpected, but oh-so-fitting. Roxx is aching for the man who is treating her cold (and matching his sexy indifference with her fast singing and killer bass runs) on “Let U Go.†Again, we get another Prince vibe from this tune you can’t stop your feet tapping to. The big tom chuck and whoops of “I Like It,” featuring Yani Marin, ends the album. It’s a big, pro-feminist, heavy mover. I love the layering of percussion here and Marin chiming in to help Roxx with the rap. This is an expansive ender to what is a great, great album.
