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"I Look to You" by Whitney Houston
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Whitney Houston’s quite the hot-button topic these days.  As you watch the public efforts to promote the new album, from “Oprah” to “Good Morning America,” the debate rages whether her voice is shot or she’s just nervous; whether her days with Bobby Brown will overshadow her comeback.

All this, of course, is nonsense for someone like myself, who only has to concern himself with the 11 tracks that make up “I Look to You,” her first studio album in years. And unfortunately, the news is not good.
The real problem is this album is designed as a safe comeback.  So there’s not a lot of vocal acrobatics, no chances taken on the music - all synthesized and very lightweight - and there’s nothing overly compelling.

That’s not to say Houston doesn’t deliver.  Given what she has to work with, she shines.  In certain cases her voice doesn’t sound as pure, confident or strong as it did in her prime, but that’s to be expected to a certain degree. Mariah Carey’s battled the same problem for years after her own well-publicized issues.  In Houston’s case, it sounds more like jitters than serious vocal issues, as she does tend to control the songs rather than vice versa (the one exception is “I Look to You,” where she’s singing it too forcefully at times, like she’s trying to prove something).

So, given what it is, a comeback album urged by a record producer who’s had her back all these years, it works OK.  There’s the trendy R&B tracks, like “Worth It” and “Million Dollar Bill,” the slower ballads, like “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” and “I Look to You,” and a nod or two to the dance arena, where she struck gold in the 90s, with “A Song For You.”  

Some of the songs fall into the same trap as Madonna’s recent “Hard Candy,” in that the songs sound accidentally out of date.  In the case of “A Song For You,” it sounds like a dance mix out of the mid-90s, missing the luster and oomph of more recent dance productions.  It sounds dated, even though it’s new.  The synths on her more R&B-flavored hits sound overly fake, just like they did on Madonna’s album.

In fact, Houston has as more in common with Madonna as she did with Carey.  “I Look to You” comes off as a quick throwaway album designed to quietly fade away if people don’t enjoy it. Or, to try to give the record company benefit of the doubt, maybe they thought using that kind of sound would echo the feel of her older material.  I don’t like how it sells an artist short before there’s a reason to do such a thing, like they’re not willing to put a few bucks behind the comeback.  While Houston has had some famous issues with drugs and Bobby Brown, she was never too misguided when it came to the music she was recording.

This is backed up when a few more chances are taken, such as on “For the Lovers.”  It’s probably the most contemporary thing on the album (aside from the cliched “Salute,” which sounds like every generic R&B track released in the past two years), and the outdated synths are pushed harder to give the song a vibe closer to Keri Hilson or Michelle Williams, yielding a positive result.  Houston can still gibe well with material like this, as her voice is still right for it, and it’s a fun track.

The material is too tame is the biggest complaint found with the album, which manages enjoyable moments despite the limitations; Houston’s delivery saves the album. Her fans should find something to like here; people looking for the next cool album will likely be disappointed, but should grab a couple of the tracks like “Million Dollar Bill” and “For the Lovers,” which will keep Houston relevant for awhile.