Sometimes when a pop music moment passes by, it's a good thing. In the late '90s the "Lilith Fair" sound had finally waned. The sudden proliferation of sickly sweet (and just a shade topical) female singer/songwriters that had saturated radio and VH1 had subsided to pre-1998 levels, and the few remaining artists who could actually still make waves opted to take time off or reassess their careers. Occasionally, you still get inundated with the acoustic drum machine "I'm feeling OK" vibe, and rarely does it still work.
Benna's
What's Meant to Be is no exception. The production here is nice, the melodies are OK, and the playing is competent. But this
Holly Palmer-esque (remember her? no?) sweet pop has run its course. It would seem that an artist with obvious talents for instrumentation and a tolerable voice would at least try something new. Instead you're given music that would be decent for the background noise at a coffee shop. A nice little record, but it's definitely not going to make a lasting impression. ~ Chris True