KeKe Wyatt - Unbelievable (2011)

Considering that nine years passed between Soul Sista and Who Knew? -- a period involving two shelved albums -- it’s kind of a shock to have Keke Wyatt's third album arrive so quickly after the second one. Evidently at home on Shanachie, the label that released Who Knew?, the singer works alongside a fresh set of collaborators, but there are so many of them -- ten individuals with production credits, for instance -- that the album sounds disjointed, from the lack of song-to-song flow to the variety of effects placed on Wyatt’s voice. Wyatt fans should be pleased with at least a few songs: “Mirror” is a deep, introspective ballad featuring Tweet and Kelly Price; “Love Under New Management” is a vocal showcase unlike anything on the first two albums; “Miss Your Plane” is a fine ballad regarding a long distance relationship. This being a Shanachie release, there are some intriguing choices for covers. Wyatt and Ruben Studdard play Cherrelle and Alexander O’Neal on a thumping, glitzy cover of “Saturday Love,” while Eric Clapton's “Tears in Heaven” gets a surprisingly light reading. ~ Andy Kellman