Lina是一位来自德克萨斯州,具有歌剧嗓音的新灵魂音乐乐手。她将现代风格、经典爵士、摇摆曲风与传统的R&B音乐相融合,最终创造了只属于她自己的音乐风格。
by William Ruhlmann
As on her debut album, Stranger on Earth, Shelina Ward (aka Lina), aided and abetted by producer/arranger Jeeve, mixes old swing elements into her otherwise unremarkable neo-soul tunes. In the musical tracks, Jeeve displays an affection for string and horn sounds, sometimes appropriately distressed as if taken from scratchy old records, but these are juxtaposed to the usual thudding percussion sounds more typical of the genre. Lina, who employs several different vocal styles, sings over these eclectic tracks, usually restraining herself from the ranginess she displayed on her debut as she explores the subjects of love and self-assertion. There are moments that vaguely recall the 1970s days of Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, another act with an affection for swing styles, but Lina and Jeeve never manage that group's humor or panache. When The Inner Beauty Movement succeeds, it does so because of Lina's catchy melodies and distinctive singing, not because of Jeeve's gimmicky production signature.