Life > February 14, 2008

By By Carie McElveen | Contributing writer

Alicia Keys’ new album, As I Am, has one thing most CDs lack: a theme. This disc is a bold celebration of life. Keys’ lyrics describe a powerful joy in the ups and downs of her experiences, pointing out that the worst mistakes one might make can end up being at least partly worth it, because of what was learned.

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The album begins with a two-minute instrumental introduction featuring piano and guitars. Her fondness for classier stuff is evident when she plays an extra track of piano music for no reason but the sake of its beauty.

As I Am is basically about love and life — their possibilities, their pitfalls and their undeniable worth.

Keys starts out in the conventional lyrical dynamic with “Go Ahead,” a number about telling a cheating boyfriend to hit the road. It is not the most lyrically substantial song on the album, but it gets things off to a catchy start and it is a song to which a lot of fans can relate.

“Superwoman” is one of the CD’s best and is a tribute to all the women who keep going when life is rough.

The other gems on the album include “I Need You,” a lively tune about how incomplete Keys would be without her love, and the quietly beautiful “Prelude to a Kiss.”

“Prelude” is simple, consisting of only Keys’s voice, her hands on a piano and honest lyrics.

The track’s length of two minutes leaves the listener wishing that Keys had continued the pretty song, but its elusive quality also adds to its charm. The two tracks that sum up the album’s constant themes are “The Thing About Love” and “Sure Looks Good to Me.” In the first, Keys sings, “Sure it could hurt you baby / But give it a little try / See that’s the thing about love.”

Similarly, “Sure Looks Good” is about the value of life, and the lyrics aren’t cliché for the most part. Keys writes, “I’m gonna risk it all, the freedom to fall / Yes it sure looks good to me.”

Keys’s opinion on love — real love, with plenty of stress, uncertainty and risk accompanying passion — is clear. She finds love and life extremely valuable in spite of it all. The jam “Wreckless Love” recalls the excitement of a relationship’s beginning.

Everyone remembers the nervous, happy anticipation that precedes a serious commitment. Keys explores the many facets of love and concludes that like every other aspect of life, it is worth a shot. As I Am is not without songs that are fun the first few times but quickly become annoying due to simple lyrics and bland harmonies.

The worst effort on the CD is “Teenage Love Affair,” a nostalgic number about the intense infatuation of first relationships. Granted, adults might find this song more amusing than those of us who can recall the awkwardness of juvenile crushes a little more clearly.

Mediocre tracks include “Where Do We Go From Here” and “No One,” which is actually one of the album’s singles. It lacks the energy and originality of some of the other tracks. However, the songs with both catchy melodies and eloquent lyrics certainly make the disc worth downloading.

Perhaps the conviction that life is worth experiencing to the fullest is cliché, but clichés are overused because they are true.

Alicia Keys clearly considers the wisdom she has gained from the hardships of reality well earned.

Every listener can benefit from Keys’ belief that pain and loss are bearable and even worthy of celebration.