Alicia Keys Here [PA]

3.5 stars out of 5 -- "Alicia Keys' eighth album downplays her classical training in favor of a grittier R&B edge. She roughs up the piano she once played prettily, endows her vocal exertions with more church than ever, and leans into a solid old-school hip-hop backbone..."
"The combination of her subject matter and her urgent delivery makes HERE her most vital release in years..."
"[S]urprisingly fresh sixth album....The piano-playing New Yorker barely falters as she shows a more honest and socially conscious side to her songwriting."
Pitchfork (Website) - "To her credit, she flexes some surprising dexterity, moving easily between ballads and more uptempo beats and varying her delivery to occasionally take on a rapper's cadence, for example on 'The Gospel.'"