Falling in line with the Diary of a Mad Black Woman,
Madea's Family Reunion,
Daddy's Little Girls, and
Why Did I Get Married? soundtrack releases,
Meet the Browns also features a mixture of what most R&B fans over the age of 30 proudly refer to as "grown folks' music" -- "grown folks" often being code for "proper" or "real." These soundtracks, as a stand-alone series separate from the movies, have filled a niche, given the consistent aesthetic and shortage of major-label attention -- when it comes to compilations, at least -- granted to this sector. Though some of the Tyler Perry soundtracks have dipped into the past,
Meet the Browns is all current, with its previously released cuts all coming from albums released within the previous year, like
Gerald LeVert's "Sweeter,"
Ledisi's "Alright," and
Jill Scott's "My Love" (all of which are highlights here). The more noteworthy new cuts include Case & Coko's "Face to Face,"
Brandy's "Get This" (an underwhelming, shrug-worthy return), and
Kelly Price's impressive cover of
the Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There." All in all, another set of mature (nearly to a fault), mostly mellow R&B dominated by the women. ~ Andy Kellman