I can’t tell you much about Skye!, this record, where it came from or where was recorded. It showed up in a clear plastic sleeve and didn’t really offer a much background. I don’t know if it was recorded in a home studio or a professional studio. But, there are a few things that are obvious and don’t need the explanation a proper release would require. Some are delightful, others painful. For one thing, Skye! has a future. But secondly, her time is just not here yet.
Skye! — her website at www.skyeisaac.com reveals she is a Gator Girl and sang before a pre-season Falcons’ game — has a good voice and she easily falls into the groove of what is popular in R&B radio. “New Girl” is a club smash waiting to happen with its fast dance floor beat and catchy hook. “Won’t Wait” is well produced and shows a more pop style.
But there are improvements that need to be made. Some of the background tracks just aren’t up to the radio standard, especially the first track, “Big & Bad.” Though Skye!’s voice carries it, the hokey beat and harmony just don’t cut it. Things get better quickly though and you can actually imagine some cuts playing on 94.5 KSMB. A few others slow the pace and offer a softer (almost too sweet) side. Still, there are too many that carry a one dimensional keyboard/sequencer sound. Some gave me flashbacks of MIDI music. For some people, the low-fi sound works. For Skye!, it doesn’t. Her voice is smooth and polished and should be accompanied by similar features.
What is impressive is the way she jumps among genres, shifting styles like a chameleon. Her most impressive sounds come when she is featured in a more urban, hip-hop style. But, her best bet is her shot with the zydeco track “I Like.” Her braggadocio (heard on the hip-hop “Why You Mad”) and voice could clean up in a genre that lacks a strong female lead (especially one versed in modern life of going hard and getting her nails done). But, she needs a band: this is synthesizer-simulated zydeco. If she puts together a knockout band, she could easily be sharing a bill with Keith Frank, J Paul, Chris Ardoin and the other top draws in young zydeco. In no time, they’d say “Rosie who?”